NATO allies fear Trump pressure on alliance after potential midterm defeat

Post-midterm fears

European NATO allies are increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump could escalate pressure on the military alliance should Republicans suffer losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. Five diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet that domestic constraints might fuel more aggressive foreign policy initiatives, according to the report published Sunday. The unnamed sources expressed particular alarm over potential US troop withdrawals from Europe — a review of American forces on the continent is expected by December.

They also warned of possible reductions to NATO's common funding, restrictions on the PURL arms-buying scheme for Ukraine, and deeper bilateral ties with Moscow. Oana Lungescu, a former NATO official now at the Royal United Services Institute, cautioned that Washington might condition its military presence on European acceptance of a US-brokered Ukraine peace deal, warning that bundling troop deployments with security arrangements could endanger European stability.

White House defense

The White House sharply contested such predictions, with Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales defending Trump's record and stating that "President Trump has done more for NATO than anyone else." Wales cited increased allied defense spending and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war while reiterating his criticism of allies regarding the war in Iran.

Montenegrin Defense Minister Dragan Krapovic offered a more measured perspective, noting that earlier predictions of a US withdrawal from NATO had failed to materialize and emphasizing Congress' constitutional authority over troop deployments. Neither NATO headquarters nor the Pentagon responded to Politico's requests for comment on the diplomats' allegations.