Trump NATO exit illegal, warns US lawmaker

Washington: An Indian-American Congressman has warned President Donald Trump that any move to withdraw the United States from NATO without congressional approval would be illegal and would weaken national security.

In a letter sent after Trump’s White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi raised “deep concern” over the President’s recent remarks about leaving the alliance.

“Any unilateral US exit from NATO would be both strategically reckless and blatantly illegal under current law. Moreover, your rhetoric on this issue risks strengthening our adversaries at the expense of our own security,” he wrote.

Krishnamoorthi cited Trump’s recent comments that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawal, had expressed “disgust with NATO,” and suggested “we don’t need them.” He also flagged Trump’s claim that “I don’t need Congress for that decision.”

The Congressman said such statements raise concerns about the administration’s commitment to US law and longstanding alliances.

He pointed to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 that bars any president from exiting NATO unilaterally.

Under the law, the President may not “suspend, terminate, denounce, or withdraw” from NATO without the consent of two-thirds of the Senate or an act of Congress.

Krishnamoorthi said the provision reflects Congress’s constitutional role in treaty matters and has strong bipartisan backing.

“Congress has acted to ensure that dismantling one of the most consequential alliances in American history cannot be done by executive action alone, and doing so would be flagrantly illegal,” he wrote.

He warned that even raising doubts about US commitment could damage the alliance.

“Abandoning NATO would undermine US credibility with allies and partners worldwide, embolden adversaries such as Russia and China, weaken collective deterrence at a time of heightened global instability, and erode decades of bipartisan American leadership in building a stable international order,” he said.

He added that rhetoric alone could weaken NATO’s deterrent power, which depends on the credibility of US leadership.

Krishnamoorthi urged the President to reverse course and reaffirm commitment to alliances that have preserved global security for decades.

NATO was founded in 1949 and remains central to US security policy in Europe. Its collective defence clause has been a key pillar of deterrence.

IANS