Trump's advisor proposes a new system for NATO members that do not contribute enough

(Patria) - Donald Trump's National Security Advisor said yesterday that if he returns to power, he will advocate for changes in NATO that could lead to some member states losing the right to collective protection from attacks.

Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general and former representative in Trump's National Security Council office, told Reuters that if a NATO member does not spend at least two percent of its GDP on defense as agreed, he would support them not having the right to collective protection under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Charter.

Article 5 states that an attack on any NATO member state is considered an attack on all member states, and that the alliance members must respond to it.

"Where I come from, alliances matter. But if you want to be part of an alliance, contribute to the alliance, be part of the alliance," said Kellogg, who was also the national security advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence, Hina reports.

Trump said at a rally over the weekend that he would not defend NATO allies who do not pay enough for defense and would even encourage Russia to attack them.

Kellogg did not want to say whether he had discussed his proposal with Trump, although he stated that they often discussed the future of NATO.

He points out that if Trump wins, he will likely propose holding a NATO meeting in June 2025 to discuss the future of the alliance.

He added that NATO could become a "multi-tiered alliance" of membership in which some member states would enjoy greater protection in accordance with their adherence to NATO's founding provisions.