By Ellen KnickmeyerNational Post (Mar. 5, 2025)
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/us-nato-commitment-ironclad-trump-pick-saysMatt Whitaker, an acting attorney general in Trump’s first term, told senators that a key part of his mission would be to push the 32 NATO allies to meet Trump’s demand to increase their own defense spending
Trump sent chills through the alliance with his comment during the campaign that Russia should “do whatever the hell it wants” to NATO members that don’t meet military spending targets. He has played down the threat from Russia and threatened to end U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion.
Asked if he agreed that Russia started the war by invading Ukraine, Whitaker cited Vice President JD Vance’s statement that that was the case.
Whitaker, however, spoke positively of NATO. He was asked specifically about the U.S. commitment to the alliance and its bedrock Article 5, by which NATO countries pledge to treat an attack against one as an attack on them all.
“It will be ironclad,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
U.S. administrations have long complained about European allies and Canada relying too much on the United States in NATO. Trump has taken that further, questioning the value to the U.S. of being in the bloc...
Trump recently upped that demand to 5 per cent of GDP. Democratic lawmakers at Tuesday’s hearing noted the U.S. spends about 3.4 per cent of its GDP on its military. NATO countries bordering Russia spend the biggest share, including Poland, at 4 per cent.
Whitaker framed getting allies to meet Trump’s 5 per cent goal as a primary mission for him at NATO.
“I have no concern that our European allies and Canada can do more and want to do more,” Whitaker said. “I fully expect they will do what’s necessary to continue to make NATO the strongest alliance ever in the history of the planet.”....
