The administration of US President Donald Trump has developed a list of 'disobedient and obedient' NATO allies. Washington is looking for ways to punish alliance members who refused to support the war against Iran.
According to Politico, citing three European diplomats and a US Department of Defense official familiar with the discussions, this plan includes a review of defense contributions from member countries and their categorization by levels.
This is the latest sign that Trump plans to carry out his threats against allies who do not follow his wishes. Furthermore, it adds another pressure factor on the Alliance, which has suffered from attacks by the American president.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth voiced a similar idea in December. "Model allies that step up, such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, increasingly Germany, the Baltic states, and others, will receive our special commitment. Allies that still do not contribute to collective defense will face consequences," the Pentagon chief warned at that time.
As reported by bb.lv, last Friday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina suddenly expressed her readiness to help Trump unblock the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. It is clear that Silina wants to be included in the white 'list of obedient' countries.
In any case, the administration is keeping any details of the lists secret, and officials have provided little clarity regarding what the benefits or consequences might be.
"It seems they do not have very specific ideas when it comes to punishing bad allies. Moving troops is one option, but that mainly punishes the US, doesn’t it?" said another European official.
There are few other options for 'punishing' NATO countries besides withdrawing American troops from Europe, so any potential plan will likely involve relocating them from one country to another. Such a relocation would be labor-intensive and costly, the publication notes.
Romania and Poland could be among the biggest beneficiaries of this idea, as both countries remain in the favor of the US president and would welcome an increase in the number of American troops on their territory.
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