Trump’s team is compiling list of ’compliant and non-compliant’ NATO countries, — Politico
The Donald Trump administration is compiling a list of "compliant and non-compliant" NATO countries, as the White House seeks ways to punish allies who refused to support the U.S. operation against Iran.
Politico reports this, according to Censor.NET.
What is known?
Three European diplomats and a Pentagon official familiar with the discussions said that the plan includes a review of the defense contributions of Alliance member countries and their allocation by tier.
The publication notes that Trump plans to follow through on his threats against allies who do not comply with his wishes. This also serves as another source of pressure on NATO.
Politico notes that a similar idea was proposed by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hagset back in December 2025.
"Exemplary allies that are stepping up their efforts—such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, and, increasingly, Germany, the Baltic states, and others—will receive our special favor. Allies that still fail to contribute to collective defense will face consequences," the Pentagon chief said at the time.
One diplomat said that the list appears to reflect this concept.
Sources say the Trump administration is keeping any details under wraps, and officials have provided little clarity on what the incentives or consequences might be.
"It seems they don't have any concrete ideas when it comes to punishing unreliable allies. Redeploying troops is one option, but that mainly punishes the U.S., doesn't it?" said one European official.
One possible form of "punishment" could be the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Europe, so any potential plan would likely involve moving them from one country to another, the publication notes. At the same time, such a redeployment could prove to be labor-intensive and costly.
What led up to
- As a reminder, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt previously stated that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to discuss with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from the Alliance.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that U.S. President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the partners' participation in the operation against Iran.
