President-elect Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at Mar-a-Lago as the organization fears a shakeup following his victory.
The meeting, first revealed in a statement late on Saturday, took place on Friday. The statement said that the two “discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance.”
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“The Secretary General and his team also met with Congressman Mike Waltz and members of the President-elect’s national security team,” it added.
In a post on X after the meeting, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) echoed Trump’s line on the organization following his 2016 campaign.
“A strong NATO that restores deterrence and peace requires all member nations to do their part commensurate with their economic strength!” he said.
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NATO has been a frequent target of Trump’s ire, largely because most of its members have failed to meet their 2% GDP defense spending requirements. He has threatened to leave the alliance on numerous occasions, which would effectively end it, as it largely relies on the U.S. military.
Trump suggested on the campaign trail that he would withdraw security guarantees from any country that failed to meet its spending requirements.
Another main area of contention is the war in Ukraine. Trump is eager to end the war with a negotiated settlement, while NATO has been adamant about sending Ukraine anything it needs to retake all lost territory.
In July, former Trump national security officials and defense experts familiar with discussions told Politico that Trump aimed for a “radical reorientation” of NATO. Defense expert Dan Caldwell, who was reportedly knowledgeable about internal discussions, said that the reorientation was driven by necessity, given rising U.S. debt and an industrial base unable to take on Russia and China simultaneously.
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“We don’t really have a choice anymore,” Caldwell said.
Several of the officials speaking with the outlet said that Trump would keep the U.S.’s nuclear umbrella over Europe: air bases in Germany, England, and Turkey, as well as naval forces around Europe. However, most of its infantry, armor, logistics, and artillery would be withdrawn, with Europeans expected to fill the role.
