Republican Congressman Calls NATO Obsolete, Seeks US Exit from Alliance

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

A Republican lawmaker has introduced new legislation calling for the United States to withdraw from NATO, describing the military alliance as an outdated remnant of the Cold War that places an excessive financial and strategic burden on American taxpayers.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky unveiled the bill on Tuesday, arguing that NATO was originally formed to counter the Soviet Union, a state that no longer exists, and that continued US participation diverts vast resources away from domestic defense needs.

Massie said Washington should prioritize protecting its own territory rather than underwriting the security of other countries, claiming that US involvement in NATO has cost taxpayers “trillions of dollars” while increasing the risk of entanglement in overseas conflicts. He criticized wealthier member states for failing to shoulder adequate responsibility for their own defense, insisting that the US should not function as the world’s security guarantor.

Under the proposed legislation, the US government would be required to formally notify NATO of its intent to end membership and to stop allocating American funds to the alliance’s common budgets.

The initiative mirrors an earlier effort by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who advanced similar legislation this year on the grounds that NATO no longer aligns with US strategic interests. That proposal stalled in committee, and Massie’s bill is also expected to face significant resistance in a Congress that has consistently shown bipartisan support for remaining in the alliance.

President Donald Trump and several Republican allies have repeatedly argued that the US carries a disproportionate share of NATO’s costs, frequently criticizing EU governments for failing to meet defense spending commitments. At one point, Trump warned that Washington might decline to defend member states that fall short of their financial obligations.

As US pressure mounted, NATO countries agreed this year to gradually increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product, well above the previous 2% benchmark. European members have justified the move by portraying Russia as a growing security threat, with Western officials and media claiming Moscow could launch a large-scale attack on the alliance in the coming years.

Russia has rejected those claims as unfounded, accusing NATO of exaggerating the threat in order to justify expanded militarization and increased military budgets.