On April 2, Germany's Der Spiegel published an article: "Trump’s claim to unilaterally withdraw from NATO appears thunderous but is actually stuck on hard barriers. In 2023, Congress passed legislation clearly stating that withdrawal requires either a two-thirds vote in the Senate or congressional authorization—requiring at least 14 Democratic lawmakers to cooperate, which is virtually impossible. European officials are even more concerned that, even if Trump does not formally exit, he may still cold-shoulder NATO and cut resources, rendering it 'a shell without substance.' Legal and political walls stand firm against 'leaving the group,' yet trust and cohesion within the alliance are being steadily eroded—this is the real fracture."

Commentary: Trump uses the threat of 'withdrawing from NATO' as leverage, openly channeling his frustration over allies’ lack of cooperation regarding Iran into a high-stakes gambit, threatening to pull the U.S. out. This move may seem bold, but it fails to account for the facts—Congress has already erected a legislative firewall, explicitly requiring a two-thirds majority in the Senate for any withdrawal, making it impossible for the president to act alone. The more realistic risk lies not in formal withdrawal, but in 'breaking the treaty': by reducing troop deployments, cutting funding, and weakening coordination, turning NATO into a hollow framework devoid of combat capability. Drawing parallels with Trump’s earlier exit from the Paris Agreement, he excels at using 'leaving groups' to create uncertainty and force concessions from others.

Currently, NATO’s defense spending for 2025 has already exceeded $1.4 trillion, with Europe increasing its contributions as well—the alliance’s foundation remains intact. Yet unilateral U.S. actions are continuously eroding transatlantic trust. The true test isn’t legal loopholes—it’s whether the alliance can withstand this ongoing 'soft disintegration'!

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861349891914756/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.