Joe Biden vs Donald Trump: What is the future of the NATO

Joe Biden vs Donald Trump future of the NATO
Credit: Reuters

The current President of the United States asked a question to Donald Trump that took a dramatic turn in a recent Presidential debate. The question is: “Will you stay in NATO?” At this sudden question Trump expressed the unusual behavior and also remained silent followed by a shrug. This silence was alarming to many of the strongest allies of the United States.

NATO was established 75 years ago. It has protected many Western countries since the start of the Cold War. At this time, NATO faces severe threats from within America. In Washington, the meeting of the 32 NATO member countries was held. All of the members are worried about  both the recent past and what might come. Trump plays a major role in pulling the United State out of NATO during the Brussel Summit in 2018. And also according to current polls, there is a greater chance that Trump could come back to finish what he started. 

This is the year when NATO defense spending has increased a lot. From the last 10 years the average spending that increases each year is only 3% but European members break this record. They have raised their spending by 19% that is much higher as compared to average value. Some people believe that Trump’s strong words pushed other NATO countries to pay more, aiming for 2% of their GDP on defense.  The former national security advisor of Trump, John Bolton said that the main purpose of Donald Trump was to prepare for leaving NATO. He is not aiming to strengthen it. 

President Biden needs to do more than just warn about this potential problem. The top responsibility of Joe Biden is to take different actions. Also create plans that play a major role ro save NATO, even if Trump wins the presidential election campaign. To do this well, Biden must face two tough realities.

Global politics is one of the main points to consider. The United States is a nation that has spent more than 20 years fighting terrorism. At this time, it is important for this country to focus on dealing with different challenges from China. For NATO to stay strong, Europe needs to step up. It is also important for Europeans to take actions for their security. Supporters of Trump working on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 say the United States shouldn’t have to defend countries that don’t contribute enough.

Fortunately, many changes are already happening. In the last decade the non-United State NATO members have increased their spendings to NATO from 27% to 36%. Furthermore, it is also concluded from the recent survey of the Institute for Global Affairs that most Europeans want to less rely on the United State protection. People from the different nations such as the UK, France and Germany think that Europens themselves should be responsible for their own security. 

The second main point is political. Even though Trump can be unpredictable, he is addressing a real issue. Americans are tired. The long and costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made them frustrated. Many Americans are more worried about problems at home and their own economic struggles than about power struggles in Europe or battles for democracy around the world.

Also the recent survey found that most of the people in the United States and NATO’s richest European countries want to encourage Ukraine to negotiate a settlement. All of them are more cautious to escalate conflicts as compared to their political leaders. This doesn’t mean Americans have turned against NATO. But for years, polls have shown they are divided on whether they’d support a military response if Russia invaded a NATO ally. This is concerning for an alliance based on the idea of collective defense.

At this time, the main focus of the Europeans is to become militarily independent. But the question is how fast will this change happen? If the next president is Trump then the shift could be sudden and harsh. But at the same time, if Democrats win but don’t change their approach, it will be slow. 

However, a balanced approach is the main purpose of Joe Biden. It is important for the United State to adjust its alliances to fit the world. This would benefit America no matter who wins the 2024 election campaign. 

France is the nation that gives big statements on foreign policy but lacks action. Furthermore, the recent election in France may result in more gridlock. 

Furthermore, Germany and the UK have been led by conservative leaders who avoid defense spending, and the new UK Labour leader’s foreign policy looks similar to past leaders. The Russian invasion of Ukraine should push the United State to encourage these changes.

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  • NYCFPA Editorial

    The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) is a policy, research, and educational organization headquartered in New York State with an office in Washington D.C. NYCFPA is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, institution devoted to conducting in-depth research and analysis on every aspect of American foreign policy and its impact around the world. The organization is funded by individual donors. The organization receives no corporate or government donations.

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