Trump's bold NATO strategy: Scaling back, negotiating with Putin

"Former U.S. President Donald Trump, if he returns to the White House, may abandon the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance in favor of an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin," writes Politico. The portal cites two national security experts and supporters of the former president.

As Politico has learned, Trump wants to propose an agreement to Putin under which NATO commits not to expand eastward and not to admit Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance. The parties will also negotiate on what part of Ukraine's occupied territory Moscow will be able to keep.

Trump's second idea, according to Politico sources, is the so-called two-tier NATO system.

According to this system, alliance member countries whose defense spending does not reach 2 percent of GDP "will not enjoy protection and security guarantees from the United States." Thus, these countries will not be covered by Article 5 of the Allied Treaty, under which allies in the bloc must join the conflict on the side of the attacked country. At the same time, Trump's team members note that this article is quite flexible and does not require any member to use military force.

Two senior officials from the former president's team stated that during his second term, the United States would maintain a "nuclear umbrella" over Europe, retaining air forces and bases in Germany, England, Turkey, and its fleet.

At the same time, European countries will take responsibility for most infantry, armored vehicles, logistics, and artillery, thus reducing Washington's role.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that if he wins the upcoming presidential elections, he intends to bring the war in Ukraine to a quick end. On June 27, during a pre-election debate with U.S. President Joe Biden, Trump again promised that if re-elected, he would be able to end the conflict swiftly - even before officially taking office. He also noted that Washington should not be spending money because of the war in Ukraine.

During the debate, Trump also rejected Putin's proposed "peace plan," aimed at ending hostilities, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, renouncing Kyiv's accession to NATO, and lifting sanctions imposed on Russia.

Shortly before this, it was revealed that two of Trump's key advisors had developed a plan for him to resolve the armed conflict in Ukraine. The document indicates that if the former U.S. President wins the upcoming elections, he may demand that Kyiv start peace negotiations with Moscow under the threat of stopping U.S. arms deliveries.

At the same time, the initiative includes strengthening Washington's support for Kyiv in the event of Moscow refusing negotiations. In this case, both sides will have to freeze hostilities along the "existing front line."