German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) expressed concern over remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a potential U.S. withdrawal from NATO. “I am clearly disturbed by such statements” Wadephul told the newspapers of the Funke Media Group. “NATO is of immense importance for the security of the Federal Republic of Germany and for all alliance partners”.
He described NATO as the world’s most successful defense coalition. “We are stronger than ever. With the addition of Sweden and Finland we now have two more members, and all of us Europeans have pledged to spend five percent of our GDP on defense. We should not question this but build on our successes” he said. Wadephul added that the world has become less safe, which makes it even more essential for the alliance to stand together.
Trump had previously suggested that the United States might exit the alliance, calling it a “paper tiger” to the British newspaper “The Telegraph”. When asked whether he would reconsider NATO membership after the Iran war, the U.S. president responded, “Oh yes, I would say it goes beyond a mere questioning”.
Wadephul remains confident that a U.S. exit can be avoided. “I believe that our clear commitment and decisive stance on the alliance will convince the U.S. to continue this success story together” he said. “It is not in the U.S. interest to abandon the strength that grows from our common purpose”. He noted that an exit would not rest solely with the president; it would require approval of at least a Senate majority.
The minister highlighted the U.S. reliance on Germany and the alliance, citing the sole invocation of the Article 5 “Article 5 clause” after the September 11th attacks as evidence. “In Afghanistan, Germany has stood by the U.S. for 20 years. We have lost soldiers, we have fought, and we have shown commitment” he added.
When asked if the NATO obligation under Article 5 remains intact, Wadephul responded, “Absolutely. All NATO partners support this. We demonstrate the alliance’s striking power every day on all fronts”.
