Thomas Massie, a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky, has introduced a bill in the US Congress for the country’s withdrawal from NATO. He called the alliance a „relic of the Cold War” and argues that American money should be used for the defense of the United States, not for „socialist countries.”
„NATO is a relic of the Cold War. We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries,” said Thomas Massie in a press release published by the House of Representatives.
"NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over 30 years ago. Since then, US participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to pose the risk of US involvement in foreign wars.
Our Constitution did not authorize permanent foreign entanglements, a fact our founding fathers explicitly warned us about. America should not be the world's security blanket - especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense," he added.
What does the "NATO Act," the bill introduced by Thomas Massie, provide for
- Requires the president to officially notify NATO of the US withdrawal under Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
- Concludes that NATO's original purpose during the Cold War no longer aligns with the current national security interests of the United States.
- Finds that European members of NATO have adequate economic and military capacity to ensure their own defense.
- Prevents the use of American taxpayer funds for NATO's common budgets, including the civilian budget, military budget, and Security Investment Program.
The text of the NATO Act can be consulted here.
A serious crisis of Atlanticism awaits us
The Republican congressman's initiative comes just days after the Pentagon urged Europe to ensure its defense. The United States wants Europe to take over most of NATO's conventional defense capabilities by 2027, from intelligence to missiles, officials from the Pentagon told European diplomats in Washington this week. If Europe does not meet the 2027 deadline, the US could stop participating in some NATO defense coordination mechanisms, sources quoted by Reuters said.
The new US Security Strategy, published last week by the White House, blames EU officials, among other things, for thwarting US efforts to end the war in Ukraine, accusing governments in that area of ignoring a "large European majority" that desires peace. It also highlights the ideological gap between Washington and its traditional allies, with harsh lines drawn in the European continent. According to the new strategy, in Europe, "economic decline is overshadowed by the very real prospect of civilization's erasure."
The strategy also underscores the radical reorientation of US foreign policy under Donald Trump's leadership, elevating American dominance over the Western hemisphere as the primary objective, in an updated version of the Monroe Doctrine. "The days when the United States supported the entire world order like Atlas are over", the document states.
According to The Guardian, the new security strategy and a series of statements from American officials, Trump's associates, and the US president himself could lead to one of the most serious crises of Atlanticism - the doctrine that ensured peace and democracy in Europe after World War II.
T.D.