European diplomats are struggling to maintain good relations with the Republican. In the US election campaign, Trump is threatening: NATO protection should only be available with payment.
Trump's plan to attach financial conditions to the NATO alliance triggered a wave of diplomatic inquiries. Despite the fact that the US ranked second in NATO defense spending in 2023 - behind Poland, which doubled its internal percentage target to four percent - the US was far ahead in absolute terms, with almost $900 billion in spending. However, Trump could use the pressure of a possible US withdrawal from NATO to persuade other countries to meet the two percent target.. A diplomat criticized Trump's outbursts of anger and lack of information. Trump, who was known for his Twitter politics during his first term, is now primarily active on the conservative platform Truth Social. In meetings with diplomats, Trump's opinion often dominates, and is not expressed without extreme emotions. According to reports, diplomats and representatives of states who have not been in office for long are often taken less seriously. The unanimity principle in NATO leaves little room for such changes.