President Trump told aides numerous times last year that he wants to pull the U.S. out of NATO, essentially destroying the 70-year-old military alliance between the U.S., Canada, and Europe, senior administration officials tell The New York Times. Trump, who does not favor alliances, most frequently complains about European nations not spending enough on defense, portraying that as an unacceptable burden on the U.S.
Weakening or neutering NATO is perhaps the top geopolitical goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Trump's "repeatedly stated desire to withdraw from NATO is raising new worries among national security officials amid growing concern about Mr. Trump's efforts to keep his meetings with Mr. Putin secret from even his own aides, and an FBI investigation into the administration's Russia ties," the Times reported Monday night. When Trump first brought up leaving NATO, "senior administration officials were unsure if he was serious," the Times adds, but:
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