Trump doubts NATO’s loyalty to the United States. Is he right?

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that although he „liked” the alliance, NATO needed the U.S. more than the other way around. Would the North Atlantic Alliance genuinely be unable to assist the United States?

Is NATO incapable of helping?

President Trump’s remarks on Monday fit within a narrative propagated by parts of his political milieu that alleges an impossibilism among NATO’s European members. According to some within the MAGA movement, the Alliance is unwilling or unable to assist the United States should such assistance be required. History, however, demonstrates that this claim is inaccurate: European NATO members have repeatedly supported the United States. 

The loudest and most significant example of the Alliance’s readiness to assist the United States was the 11th September 2001 attacks, when, for the first and only time in history, Article 5 of the NATO Treaty was invoked (Operation Eagle Assist — ed.).

The activation of Article 5 actually took place only once. It was when the United States was attacked — I’m referring to 11th September 2001. The activation lasted just 12 hours. Afterwards there was Afghanistan, which ended the way it did, but in the initial phase there were no controversies. NATO allies provided support to the United States (…) Robert Pszczel, lead specialist in the Security and Defence Team at the Centre for Eastern Studies and former director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow (2010–2015), said in a 2024 interview with Defence24.  

Beyond Afghanistan

NATO assistance to the United States in the twenty-first century has extended beyond Afghanistan. In addition to the aforementioned Afghanistan and the ISAF mission (International Security Assistance Force), which cost hundreds of European lives (including 44 Polish soldiers), NATO supported the United States in Operation Active Endeavour — a maritime operation in the Mediterranean aimed at preventing the movement of terrorists and weapons of mass destruction.

One should not forget Iraq. Although NATO did not participate in the 2003 invasion (the United States was supported by a „coalition of the willing”), the Alliance’s direct engagement took the form of training missions for Iraqi security forces (NATO Training Mission–Iraq). Libya is another example of NATO assistance: in 2011 the Alliance conducted a military operation under the codename Operation Unified Protector.