Trump Adviser: No NATO Protection if Countries Don't Pay!

A top national security adviser to Donald Trump has said that if the former president is returned to power, he will push for changes to NATO that could see some member countries lose their protection against external attack.

Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general and former chief of staff of the former president's National Security Council, said in an interview with Reuters that if a member of the 31-nation alliance fails to spend at least 2% of its gross domestic defense product, as agreed, it will support the removal of that country's protection under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Article 5 ensures that an attack on a member state is considered an attack on the alliance and that state benefits from NATO's collective defense.

"Where I come from, alliances matter," said Kellogg, who also served as national security adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence. "But if you're going to be part of an alliance, contribute to it, be part of the alliance."

Trump drew rebukes from Democratic President Joe Biden and senior Western officials when he suggested at a weekend rally that he would not defend NATO allies who are underspending on defense and would even encourage Russia to attack them.

Kellogg declined to say whether he had discussed his proposal with Trump, although he said they had frequently discussed the future of NATO. Trump is close to securing the Republican presidential nomination for the Nov. 5 general election.

Kellogg also said that if Trump wins, he is likely to propose a June 2025 NATO meeting to discuss the alliance's future. He said NATO could eventually become a "multi-tiered alliance" in which some members enjoy greater protection based on compliance with NATO's founding articles.

Trump's staff did not respond to a request for comment, but previously identified Kellogg as a political adviser who could take on a role in the Trump administration if he wins the presidential election.