Trump, the EU, and NATO

by Allison Wheeler (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)

This blog post was written for the course "Current Issues in Global and EU Affairs", which took place from February 11-May 9, 2019.

Secretary Pompeo and Secretary General Stoltenberg deliver
opening remarks at the NATO Foreign Ministerial
Image Credit: US Department of State/Ron Przysucha, 
Public Domain

This year, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), celebrated its 70^th birthday.  Founded in 1949, NATO has bound western Europe and North America since almost immediately following World War II and has created a close defense alliance between what has grown from just 12 countries to now 29 countries.  NATO at this moment in history is at the center of a potentially pivotal conflict for the transatlantic partnership between the US and the EU.

The EU, regarded most prominently and historically as a normative and economic power, has heavily relied on the “hard power” the US provides within its contributions to NATO missions.  NATO, aided with American military power, has been crucial in defending Ukraine from Russian encroachment and invasion of Crimea, for example.

Pressure has been put on the EU from the US, especially from President Donald Trump, and expressly for member states to step up their spending toward the NATO budget if it is to continue protecting its borders.  Trump, within the time of his administration, has pushed NATO members to contribute to the 2% goal for the overall NATO budget; meaning that, ideally, every member state should be contributing 2% of its GDP towards NATO.  At this moment in time, only 5 total members contribute 2% or more: Estonia, Greece, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  Trump has been hardballing the concept of even “burden-sharing” amongst the member states, which has, in fact, had an effect within the EU.  After singling out Germany, for example, the German Defense Minister agreed to action that would increase their spending from 1.2% to 1.5% of its GDP by 2025—it may not now seem like much, but to the appeasement of Trump, it is a start.

The US-EU defense alliance that has formed via NATO has sparked conversations within the European Commission on the viability of becoming a more independent security actor.  The Trump administration is still wary to the amount of US defense resources that are pored into protecting the European continent, thus putting strains in the transatlantic partnership.  Member states’ stances on the EU as its own self-sustaining security and defense actor vary greatly and would encroach upon the several states that have historically had a neutral standing (Austria, Sweden, Ireland, and Finland).

While nothing in terms of a “European Army” has come through in any form of legislation, the Juncker administration has passed the provisional agreements for a European Defense Fund.  According to the European Commission, 525million euros have been allocated for this fund, and will be utilized for the defense innovation and research. 

With the UK’s exit from the European Union on the horizon, the EU must also prepare for one of its largest defense contributors to leave.  And with the UK gone, 60% of NATO members will be non-EU states, thus bolstering President Trump’s discourse and dissatisfaction with EU member states’ contributions.  With the EU exploring new territory as a security actor, that relies less on NATO, and de facto the US, the transatlantic partnership may be able to avoid a contentious fallout.