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Keith Kellogg wants to have an “adult conversation” about the proposal

Photo: Carlos Barria / REUTERS

A security adviser to US presidential candidate Donald Trump has spoken out in favor of staggered NATO membership based on defense spending. Keith Kellogg told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that anyone who does not invest two percent of their economic output (GDP) in their military as agreed should lose protection under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This regulates the alliance case. Kellogg said he would propose a NATO meeting for June 2025 if Trump wins the election. He spoke of a “conversation between adults” that, like many others, had to be had on the topic of national security.

The former lieutenant general and former chief of staff of the National Security Council under Trump did not say whether he had discussed his ideas with Trump. There was initially no statement from Trump's campaign team. It had described Kellogg as a political adviser who could join the Cabinet after an election victory in November.

Statements have sparked nuclear debate

A few days ago, Trump caused a stir by declaring that in a second term he would not defend NATO states against Russia that did not pay their share. Of the 31 alliance members, eleven are expected to reach the two percent of GDP target for defense spending this year.

Trump's questioning of NATO's obligation to provide assistance triggered a wave of outrage from Washington to Brussels to Berlin. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that any suggestion that the states in the alliance would not defend each other would undermine the security of all members. In Europe, the statements also fueled a debate about nuclear armament.

Trump then followed up and claimed to have strengthened the defense alliance. “I made NATO strong,” the Republican wrote in capital letters on his social network Truth Social on Monday evening. When he told the countries that had not paid their fair share that they had to pay "otherwise they would not receive military protection from the USA," the money came in.

czl/Reuters