Kyle Cave

Staff Writer

In recent days, President Trump and the administration have been highly critical of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies. Trump has accused NATO and our allies of “not being there for us” in the war with Iran, has on several occasions threatened to militarily take over Greenland, and has said the United States overly funds NATO with nothing in return. Recently, Trump has floated the possibility of withdrawing the United States from NATO.

The hostility the Trump administration has caused internally with NATO will not only have consequences for the United States, but the entire world.

The purpose of NATO isn’t just literal with defense help and guarantees, it also provides a Western alliance for a global world order for protection. The very existence of NATO tells adversaries that if just one country is under threat, whether that be militarily or diplomatically, it will face repercussions from almost the entire globe. Recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine showcased this with unanimous support for Ukraine against Russia.

The Trump administration has drastically changed that. Trump alone cannot withdraw the United States from NATO; he would require Congress’ approval. This very disruption and infighting between NATO countries may be enough to give to Russia the boost it needs. Russia’s goal for many years has not been to militarily fight the United States, but to weaken its power and influence over Europe.

Russia has been trying to take Ukraine for 4 years now. Because of help from NATO allies and mainly the United States, Ukraine has efficiently defended itself against Russia. NATO countries cannot help Ukraine on their own. They can give a plethora of resources to Ukraine, but only the United States has the great capability of providing Ukraine with the resources it needs to defend itself. The idea from the Trump administration that NATO countries “need to step up” or aren’t giving enough to Ukraine is profoundly false.

In a situation where the United States leaves NATO, it would devastate the world order. The first thing that could happen is that Russia may be successful in it’s conquest of Ukraine. If that occurs, Putin may try to take other European countries, which could destabilize the entire continent.

China could also benefit from NATO falling apart. For many years, China has directly threatened to take Taiwan. The United States, in many ways, including through the Taiwan Relations Act, is obligated to support and protect Taiwan from a hypothetical invasion. China, seeing the dissolution of NATO, could see an opportunity to take the same route with Taiwan that Russia is taking with Ukraine.

As of right now, it is unlikely that China will try to seize Taiwan. But that can very well change if NATO infighting or a withdrawal from the United States occurs.

A dissolution of NATO would mark the end of an alliance of countries that overwhelmingly are democracies. A new world order that arises from NATO’s ashes is not guaranteed to uphold the same democratic and world norms we are used to seeing. A new world order could be more isolated and leave the rest of the world to fend for itself.

NATO is not just a military commitment; it’s a staple of stabilization. An erosion of that could be catastrophic for global order and could plunge the world back into a state of colonization, invasions, war and mass casualties.