What value is NATO to American taxpayers?

As he seeks to end the war in Ukraine and reorient America’s military commitments, US President Donald Trump has expressed a desire for allies to bear more of the cost for their own security and has questioned the utility of NATO. Amid Mr. Trump’s drive to narrowly define US interests and pursue an America First agenda, it bears asking: What use and value is NATO to the United States?

NATO is a force multiplier. It is the world’s largest military alliance, many of whose member states are countries that the USSR controlled. (To date, there has never been an invasion of a NATO-member country.)

By working with NATO, the United States can sway and help direct the defense policies of its partners to align with American imperatives. This allows Washington to coordinate force postures with member states, access overseas military bases and implement the deterrence measures needed to prevent a third world war.

The multination coalition that is NATO amplifies US influence, allowing Washington to set many of the rules that govern security, geopolitics, commerce and norms. In a world in which Putin and Xi seek to reduce American prestige and promote alternative systems hostile to human rights, NATO is a bastion against authoritarianism.

Some argue that America is being taken advantage of, alleging US taxpayers contribute significantly more to NATO’s defense than its European allies. Many in recent years have asserted that this imbalance is a sign of disrespect to the American people.

It is important to recognize the misgivings of Americans who believe the US burden to NATO is too heavy and is underappreciated. As a response to these concerns, leaders in Washington need to calibrate how the United States’ role in the alliance can be improved and how allies can be more self-sufficient.

However, casting doubt on Washington defending NATO-member countries who “don’t’ pay,” giving up the role of supreme allied commander of the alliance or considerations of withdrawing altogether from the coalition breed uncertainty during a time when the world needs American leadership.

US adversaries are closely observing Washington’s commitment to NATO. A decision to curtail involvement with the alliance or walk away would likely raise questions in Pyongyang and Beijing about Washington’s resolve to defend Seoul and Taipei.

Leaving NATO would also likely breed distrust of America and force countries to lessen their dependence on Washington, contributing to instability. Understandably, some of these states would opt to join new geopolitical blocs, develop indigenous weapons of mass destruction programs for their own defense and seek non-dollar denominated investment safe havens and reserve currencies.

Nonetheless, NATO’s crucial role on the world stage compels American leaders to evaluate the coalition periodically to determine if it still brings value to the US.

Here’s a quick assessment.

Military spending is one benefit of NATO. Although America’s leaders have long been frustrated by what they regard as underinvestment in security by its transatlantic partners, it bears mentioning that European NATO countries collectively make up the second largest defense budget worldwide.

Also, NATO’s European member states’ large population of 400+ million people and significant numbers of active-duty military personnel provide advantages to Washington. While the United States has a fighting force of 1.3 million, European countries have another 2 million active-duty troops.

As retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis has shared in recent interviews, Europe brings with it potential for a significant military industrial base. Of the world’s top 30 defense companies, nine are from Europe.

Preventing wars is another perk. Since its inception in 1949, the alliance has helped deter Soviet and Russian aggression against NATO member states. After Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the coalition has only become stronger with the additions of Finland and Sweden to the alliance, effectively making the Baltic Sea a NATO lake.

NATO also helps defend a good chunk of global prosperity and commerce. In particular, the world’s largest bilateral trade and investment relationship — that of the United States and the European Union — is protected by the alliance.

Additionally, the US and its NATO partners hold common values such as democracy and freedom. These shared principles mean that Washington has the support of Europe through good times and bad.

Yet perhaps NATO’s greatest calling is preventing great power conflicts and world wars.

In his landmark 2007 Munich Security Conference address, Vladimir Putin rejected the US-led post-Cold War security architecture and signaled his intent to challenge the West. Since then, his military actions in Georgia, Crimea, Syria and Ukraine have demonstrated intensions to recreate Soviet Russia and disrupt Washington’s ties with Europe and the Middle East.

Along these lines, Putin’s current efforts to eradicate Ukrainian heritage and democracy by force of arms while conscripting its population and taking its resources serve as ominous signs. These actions likely portend his longer-term goals of oppressing and bullying Europe. Amid these stark realities, a strong NATO is needed to serve as a bulwark for containing Putin and preventing a widespread conflagration that would inevitably involve US troops.

In terms of nukes, the guarantee by nuclear-armed Washington to defend its fellow NATO members prevents the proliferation of these weapons. Unfortunately, the Trump administration’s calling into question its 80+ year commitment to protect its allies has raised calls by Poland to acquire its own arsenal.

During this critical time of increased threats to the international security environment, NATO will need to surge defense spending, revitalize Europe’s industrial base and invest in relationships to maintain unity. Individual member states will also need to provide funding, weapons and political support to Ukraine.

Using Finland as a case study, in the years ahead the alliance will need to lay the groundwork for admitting Ukraine and its blooded 1 million person strong military. (Jarred by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Finns only decided to join NATO in May, 2022 after its decades of neutrality resulting from its 1939-1940 Winter War with Russia.)

Put simply, NATO brings great value to US national security and hardworking American taxpayers by reducing the likelihood of great power conflict, nuclear exchange and world war. The alliance should not be allowed to collapse and should continue receiving backing from Washington – – including clear, unambiguous American commitments to Article 5.

During a time when Putin wants to reassemble the USSR’s old empire, weakening history’s most successful military partnership is not in the interest of the US. Keeping NATO together needs to be a national security and moral imperative for the world’s free peoples.

Longer term, the US and NATO must remain committed to one another for purposes of protecting our way of life and securing our collective future.