Media Tip Sheets

No Ally Pays Any Bill

Thursday, February 15, 2024, By Ellen Mbuqe
During a campaign stop, former US President Donald Trump said he might encourage Russians “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that have not met certain defense obligations to be in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
For reporters looking for insight into NATO and impact of such comments, please consider Syracuse University Associated Professor Michael Williams.
Professor Williams researches, teaches, and writes about NATO and international security at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. He is also the director of the Carnegie-Maxwell Policy Planning Lab at the Moynihan Institute for Global Affairs at Maxwell.
  • “Trump’s comments at a political rally this last weekend that he would not defend a NATO ally that wasn’t supposedly ‘paying their bill’ and would let Russia ‘do whatever the hell they want’ are dangerous to the national security of the United States,” said Williams.
  • “First, no ally pays any bill. All allies contribute what they can based on the size of their economy to the collective defense and all have substantially increased spending since the 2014 Wales pledge,” said Williams. “More importantly, however, Russia is deterred from attacking any NATO ally because of a belief that the US and other allies will come to the defense – Trump’s comments dangerously undermine the US deterrence posture in Europe and invite Russian aggression against NATO allies, including the United States.”

Please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, executive director of media relations, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu to schedule an interview.