US President Donald Trump's administration is discussing the possibility of waiving defense obligations for NATO member countries that will not be able to raise defense spending to the goal of 5% of GDP, reports the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, Trump can exclude from NATO decision-making those countries that will not be able to fulfill their financial obligations. The paper also suggests that Washington could deny those countries the ability to activate Article 5 on the collective defense of the North Atlantic Treaty, freeze their participation in discussions on the expansion of the alliance and prevent them from participating in joint military exercises.
Another option is the withdrawal of US troops from Germany.
