That is the core idea behind NATO’s Article 5 collective defense guarantee, and yet, Trump doesn’t buy into it. “There’s numerous definitions of Article 5,” he told reporters on his way to the summit. “You know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends.”
In reality, however, its definition is clear: “An armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.” And so far, it’s been invoked precisely once — after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the U.S., leading every single ally to deploy troops and capabilities to Afghanistan, many for well over a decade.
Being a friend is one thing, being a real ally another. The latter is what matters in international politics, and America’s NATO allies are as worried about Trump not understanding this as they are about Russia.
That is why they agreed to spend so much more on defense — 5 percent of GDP, including 3.5 percent on core defense capabilities, nearly double the current 2 percent mark.
European allies and Canada have all come to understand they can no longer count on the U.S. for their security and defense. As U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told them in February: “Stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.”
Moreover, while claiming victory over the 5 percent target, Trump made clear the U.S. would exempt itself from it. “We’ve been supporting NATO so long,” he said, when asked about the new requirement. “So, I don’t think we should, but I think that the NATO countries should, absolutely.”