The Trump administration does not hide its dissatisfaction: a special rating of NATO countries has been created, where allies are divided into "exemplary" and "disobedient". Washington is already considering how to punish those who did not support the U.S. in the Iranian campaign.
Rating of Allies: Who is on the "Good" List and Who is on the "Bad" List?
The White House is actively compiling a sort of list of NATO countries, dividing them into "disobedient" and "exemplary". This work was carried out just before the visit of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Washington.
The plan involves a thorough analysis of the contributions of each member state, after which they will be categorized into corresponding levels. One diplomat noted: "The White House has a list of 'disobedient and obedient', so I think the idea is the same here."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth clearly outlined this concept back in December. He stated: "Exemplary allies who step up, such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, increasingly Germany, the Baltic states, and others, will receive our special commitment. Allies who still do not contribute to collective defense will face consequences."
According to the publication, Romania and Poland have every chance of becoming key beneficiaries of this new policy. Romania provided the U.S. with its Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base for use during the Iranian operation.
Poland, in turn, has taken on nearly all financial obligations for the maintenance of ten thousand American servicemen stationed on its territory.
Bulgaria also provided important, albeit less noticeable, support for American logistics in the Middle East. The Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—have earned praise for their consistently high levels of military spending.
However, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, on the contrary, either rejected or significantly delayed fulfilling U.S. requests for assistance during the Iranian campaign.
What Sanctions Await the "Disobedient"?
So far, specific mechanisms for punishing the "bad" allies have not yet been determined. However, among the actively discussed options are the withdrawal or relocation of American troops from one country to another. Joint military exercises may also be canceled, and arms sales could be completely halted. One European official expressed doubt: "It seems they don’t have very concrete ideas when it comes to punishing bad allies. Troop relocation is one option, but that primarily punishes the U.S., doesn’t it?".
The White House has openly threatened "disobedient" states that did not support the U.S. during Operation "Epic Fury". White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly emphasized: "President Trump has clearly expressed his opinion regarding this unfair dynamic, and, as he said, the United States will remember."
