Trump Administration Suggests Cutting Off U.S. Funding for NATO

The Trump administration proposed halting funding for NATO operations.

The Washington Post reported on this, citing an internal document it has received.

The document recommends that the U.S. Department of State implement additional budget cuts, including reductions in funding for the United Nations and other international organizations.

The memo outlines that cuts contained in an early proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget for the next fiscal year would leave a total budget of $28.4 billion for all activities the State Department and USAID carry out. That represents a decline of $27 billion, or 48 percent, from funding levels approved by Congress for 2025.

Meanwhile, a sharp reduction of nearly 90% has been proposed for international organizations.

“According to the memo, funding for the UN, NATO, and 20 other organizations would be discontinued, with only limited contributions remaining for a select few, including the IAEA and the International Civil Aviation Organization,” the media reports.

Furthermore, it calls for the complete termination of funding for international peacekeeping missions, citing “recent mission failures,” though no further details are provided.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been given until Tuesday to respond to the document and submit his own proposals. The final budget proposal is expected to be presented to Congress by the end of April.

The proposed funding cuts align with Trump’s attempt to reorient the United States’ relations with the world, as Washington has sharply moved away from its historical role in international organizations and the use of humanitarian aid to create and maintain alliances.

Earlier in April, Katherine Thompson, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, stated in a speech to Congress that the North Atlantic Alliance should take a leading role in providing military assistance to Ukraine.

It was reported in December 2024 that NATO had already taken on the coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine.

The headquarters of the new mission called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) is located at the U.S. military base in Wiesbaden, Germany.