TL/DR –
Pentagon officials handed NATO allies a questionnaire asking whether they are aligning with President Trump’s vision for the transatlantic alliance. The questionnaire asked whether the allies have been publicly supportive of US foreign policy priorities, as well as whether they have placed restrictions on US access to bases and military flights over their countries, among other things. It also asked whether the allies have endorsed the Trump administration’s “NATO 3.0” concept, which calls for European allies to take on more responsibility for their own defence with “more limited US support”.
NATO Allies Challenged on Loyalty to US Policies in Pentagon Questionnaire
Al Jazeera exclusively uncovers Pentagon’s questionnaire for NATO allies, questioning their alignment with US policies.
The Pentagon has delivered a comprehensive questionnaire to NATO allies, probing their adherence to President Donald Trump’s vision for the alliance. The questions notably ask if the allies have been “publicly supportive of US foreign policy priorities”.
Recommended Stories
One of the queries includes, “Has the country shown alignment with the US approach to [be] ‘strong, clear, and quiet?’”, referring to a phrase used by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
The questionnaire appears geared towards guiding US-NATO interactions during an ongoing Pentagon review of American forces in Europe. The document, titled “Questions for NATO Allies & Other Key Stakeholders”, was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The sharply political questions inquire about allies’ restrictions on US military access, an issue linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. A number of European nations imposed such limits following the February 28 war onset. “Are they willing to reduce or eliminate any such restrictions?” the questionnaire further asks.
Experts opine this reflects Trump’s initiative to involve US allies in the Iran war, regardless of it falling outside NATO’s collective defence pact scope. “This administration has been intermingling NATO topics with unilateral US military operations,” a senior defence official from a NATO ally anonymously shared. “NATO has no business with the Middle East.”
The questionnaire also asks if allies have endorsed the Trump administration’s “NATO 3.0” concept, urging European allies for greater self-defence responsibility with “limited US support”. Other questions repeat Trump’s demands that allies increase defence spending and contribute more to NATO’s command and forces makeup.
Trump has notably criticized Spain for seeking exemption from the 2025 NATO agreement to increase military spending to 5 percent of GDP. After Spain restricted US access for attacks on Iran in March, Trump threatened to cut trade with Madrid.
An anonymous senior European official pointed out that the questionnaire doesn’t explicitly condition US military presence on political loyalty, but it does mirror the Pentagon’s wish to justify “vindictive force presence reductions”. It also urges allies to align closely with the White House agenda.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to questions about this story.
“These issues arise in conversations, irrespective of party,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Jim Townsend told Al Jazeera. “This administration greatly values loyalty, whether from their own people or allies, especially. President Trump has sternly communicated his expectations for their loyalty and support for the US.”
—
Read More US Political News