NATO's importance in US Foreign Policy

Currently, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) seems to serve a minimal purpose for US national interests; nonetheless, membership in NATO is still important for American foreign policy, especially since President Trump is so significantly lessening this administration’s focus on diplomacy. Throughout history—specifically during and immediately after the Cold War—NATO has served as the pinnacle of unity for many European Countries, especially the Central Eastern European nations previously involved in the Warsaw Pact. However, in terms of the United States, the most important moment in our NATO membership was the invocation of Article 5 in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Currently, only a few of the goals of NATO actually serve American national interests. Many of the goals, including enlargement and the focus on the European Union, seem to place European interests over others. However, the emphasis on counter-terrorism and peacekeeping are concepts that the United States continues to prioritize and should work with NATO member-states to achieve.

Morally, the United States has an obligation to the member-states of NATO, especially those that responded to the call for collective action of Article 5 in 2001. If these countries were willing to come to America’s aid when we were in need of military assistance, the United States likewise has a moral responsibility to help these countries in the future should they require collective action.

Although the United States’ membership  in NATO continues to seem logical, it’s main goals are a bit at odds with the foreign policy goals of the Trump Administration—though not necessarily at odds with American national interests in general. For instance, a goal of NATO following the end of the Cold War was to form a Western alliance as a bulwark against China and Russia. However, President Trump aims to improve relationships with China, especially in terms of trade. Additionally, the current controversy regarding Russia’s involvement in the 2016 Presidential election calls into question the Trump administration’s loyalty as a force against Russia.
In considering the role of NATO for United States’ national interests and foreign policy, it is vital to think about the consequences were the US pulled out of our membership. Simply in diplomatic terms, pulling out of NATO would make us look extremely isolationist. Although this would uphold facets of Trump’s “America First” philosophy, it is also a statement to other member-states that we would not be willing to help them, even if they were willing to help us. In a military alliance, one nation’s interests should not always be superior to others. Especially since the Trump Administration is so drastically deemphasizing diplomacy and cutting a large portion of the State Department, the US leaving NATO—even though it is an organization focused on military alliance—would cause any international diplomatic efforts to suffer severely. As an international hegemon, American involvement in NATO upholds our commitment to peacekeeping and counterterrorism, as well as our dedication to human rights and international safety.