Former MI6 chief: Trump reelection problematic for NATO
3 Min Read
Richard Dearlove, the former head of the British intelligence agency MI6, believes that Trump is a political threat to the UK's national security.
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens as North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum speaks at a rally at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, January 14, 2024. (AP)
The former head of the MI6, Richard Dearlove, has warned that Former US President Donald Trump’s potential reelection could be “problematic” for British national security due to his stance on NATO.
“You have to add a political threat, which I am worried about, which is Trump’s reelection... which I think for the UK’s national security is problematic,” Dearlove stated. He elaborated that if Trump “acts hastily and damages the Atlantic alliance, that is a big deal for the UK," given his critical attitude towards NATO.
He also emphasized that the US has put "all its eggs" in defense terms in "the NATO basket." Then added, "If Trump really is serious about, as it were, changing the balance, I mean the American nuclear umbrella for Europe is, in my view, essential to Europe’s security and defense.”
Where is this coming from?
Trump had previously disparaged NATO during his time as president, calling it “obsolete,” and questioning its relevance in today's world. Arguing that other NATO members weren't contributing enough, Trump criticized Washington’s commitment to defend its allies.
He also told Fox News that “NATO has taken advantage of our country. The European countries took advantage,” adding that his attitude towards NATO depends on whether “they treat us properly.”
Trump accused the bloc of freeloading on the US' enormous military presence on the continent while failing to achieve NATO's 2% of GDP defense budget objective. He used NATO conferences to chastise European leaders for increasing military expenditure, and according to former National Security Advisor John Bolton, the US was ready to exit the alliance in 2018.
Read More: Congress passes bill blocking a president's unilateral NATO withdrawal
Richard is not the only one concerned
With polls suggesting that Trump may be the primary contender for the Republican party, a slew of former Trump administration officials and anti-Trump commentators have declared that a second Trump presidency would spell the end of NATO, and that worry has spilled over to the EU.
Anonymous sources told The New York Times that “European ambassadors and think tank officials have been making pilgrimages to associates of Mr. Trump to inquire about his intentions."
Finland's ambassador to the US, Mikko Hautala, reportedly spoke to Trump and "sought to persuade him of his country's value to NATO as a new member."
Other nations are anticipated to try to gain Trump's favor through "flattery and transactional tributes," according to The Times, citing talks with current and former diplomats.
