Citing European and American sources, the media assures that the White House has drawn up a list to rate NATO member countries and analyze how to punish those who, under the gaze of President Donald Trump, do not contribute enough to the alliance or have refused to support the war started by the United States and Israel against Iran. Although it is not clear if it will move forward with any retaliation, there is speculation about measures such as the withdrawal of troops or the cancellation of military exercises.

First modification: 04/22/2026 - 21:01 Last modification: 04/22/2026 - 21:06

It is what 'Politico' describes as a kind of list of "good guys and bad guys" among the United States' allies in NATO.

According to information obtained through three European diplomats and a US Defense official, the White House has drawn up a sort of ranking that qualifies the members of the transatlantic alliance according to their contributions to the organization and the position adopted towards the war that the United States and Israel started against Iran on February 28.

It is no secret that President Donald Trump is frustrated with several of his allies, especially Europeans. Before the conflict in the Middle East, he had made clear his position that a greater and equal contribution from the members of the organization was necessary in the face of what he perceived as inequality.

Hence their pressure for all NATO members to commit to allocating 5% of their GDP spending on defense, a measure that last year generated their first major clash with Spain, a country that refused to set that percentage.

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Since then, Pedro Sánchez's government has led the most critical voices towards Trump's pressures, most recently with his rejection of the war in the Middle East and his refusal to allow US troops to use their bases in Spain for activities linked to their offensive in Iran. Similar measures were adopted by the United Kingdom, France and even Italy, whose Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has distanced herself from Trump.

Furthermore, calls by the United States for more countries to join its maneuvers to force Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz fell on deaf ears.

According to 'Politico', White House spokesperson Anna Kelly pointed out that "while the United States has always been there for its so-called allies, countries that we protect with thousands of troops have not been there for us throughout 'Operation Epic Fury,'" in reference to the name that the Pentagon has given to the war launched against Iran.

"President Trump has made his position clear on this unfair dynamic, and as he himself has said, the United States will not forget it," Kelly stressed.

Also read Trump vs. NATO: How the war in Iran deepens the gaps with the alliance and European nationalists

Punishments and rewards, at Trump's discretion

The sources consulted by 'Politico' said they were not clear about what type of punishments or rewards the Trump Administration could implement. "They don't seem to have concrete ideas about how to penalize bad allies," said one European diplomat.

However, last December, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth already mentioned that possibility.

"Model allies who step forward, such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, and increasingly Germany, the Baltic countries and others, will receive our special favor. Allies who continue to fail to do their part in collective defense will face consequences," he stressed.

Two of the European officials cited by 'Politico' indicated that the United States could choose to reduce the deployment of troops, joint exercises or sales of weapons to allies considered "bad" and allocate them to the "good" ones.

Those who could benefit from such a strategy would be countries like Romania or Bulgaria, which have facilitated, to a greater or lesser extent, the use of their bases for US logistics in the Middle East.

Poland and Baltic nations, such as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, have also been repeatedly praised for increasing their defense spending.

However, Joel Linnainmäki, a former Finnish official who worked on his country's accession to NATO in 2023, assured 'Politico' that the Trump Administration "possibly does not have the capacity to open another hostile front with Europe as long as the war continues."

Likewise, Washington's treatment of its allies also sparks internal criticism. Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker warned Tuesday that "it is unhelpful for American leaders to speak disparagingly of our alliances" and stressed that "we must be clear about the many political, strategic and moral benefits our country derives from its alliances."

Tensions between Trump and his allies deepen

In an article published in 'The Conversation', political science professors Michael Allen, Carla Martinez Machain and Michael Flynn warned that "part of the current disconnect lies in how the United States, under President Trump, perceives multilateral institutions compared to its predecessors."

"While previous US presidents viewed NATO as an extension of US global interests, they also tended to value the alliance as a whole, even though Washington did not always get the desired results. For Trump, the relationship is much more transactional," they stressed.

That position – which, among other things, translated into pressure from Trump for NATO countries to increase their defense spending – has led to multiple clashes that threaten the cohesion of the transatlantic alliance.

One of the most dramatic disputes was the American president's insistent campaign to annex Greenland, an initiative that involved a direct clash with Denmark – the country to which the sovereignty of the island belongs – and with the European Union.

Similarly, Trump has threatened several times to leave NATO or rethink his role in the alliance if it does not serve his interests, a warning he has again waved under his frustration over what he sees as a lack of support in his war against Iran.

Although experts point out that there are no indications that the US president is going to launch his departure – a process that would also require the approval of Congress – such an untimely move could clash with citizen rejection.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published this Tuesday, only 16% of Americans would support leaving NATO.

Read also"Putin's dream plan": NATO reacts to Donald Trump's threat to leave

On the other hand, Trump's unpredictability has long put European countries on alert, which view with distrust how the US president has shown himself willing to dialogue with Vladimir Putin's Russia or express concern that US efforts are focusing on Iran, decimating support for Ukraine.

In an interview with the ENR consortium of European agencies, European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius admitted that "the American defense industry will need several years – three or four – to replenish the reserves" it has spent on Iran, so "we must concentrate much more on our own production."

"We depend considerably on American services: space data, heavy air transport, in-flight refueling, command and control systems, among others," said the former Prime Minister of Lithuania, who asserted that "our big problem is that we continue to be far surpassed in production by Russia."

Regarding the future of NATO, Kubilius was confident that the US will continue to lead the alliance, although "unpredictability is now the norm." "We have had enough time to adapt" to Donald Trump's style, which despite generating "a lot of confusion and misunderstandings," brings him "benefits from time to time," he concluded.

With EFE and local media

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