<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> says he is not afraid to pull out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), but can the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="US "><span>US</span></a><span> really withdraw from the agreement?</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US President has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the 77-year security alliance with Canada, the UK, France and 28 other </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/europe" rel="" target="_blank" title="European "><span>European</span></a><span> countries as early as his first term.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Most recently, he has criticised NATO for its failure to help US military objectives in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="_blank" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span>. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-emmanuel-macron-french-president-rebukes-us-over-strait-of-hormuz-comments-about-wife/26ebc402-a740-427e-99aa-5e31f1511229" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Macron blasts Trump over Strait of Hormuz, marriage mockery</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Trump's latest remarks have people worried.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When asked if he would reconsider US membership in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/nato" rel="" target="_blank" title="NATO"><span>NATO</span></a><span>, Trump told the Telegraph that it is "beyond reconsideration".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way," he said. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-likes-to-pull-the-nato-card-but-can-he-really-withdraw-the-us/f5e77839-78d4-46e3-949d-cb18b7b0c6f9" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What is NATO?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NATO, formally known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, was established in 1949 with 12 core member countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, France and Denmark, and has since expanded to 32 members.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The treaty was initially created as a form of collective security against the spread of the Soviet Union and communism in Europe following World War II.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The heart of the treaty is article 5 in the charter, which states that an armed attack against one or more member countries will be considered an attack against them all.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They all agree to help the countries being attacked, including through armed force.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The only time this measure was ever invoked was after the 9/11 attacks in New York when NATO members sent troops to support US military efforts in Afghanisation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump has been critical over NATO members for failing to help the US military in Iran, however the US was not under attack when it launched a joint war against Iran and NATO members are under no obligation to . </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-imposes-100-per-cent-pharmaceutical-tariffs/c1e4352a-4974-4d53-a333-daadbe68aa1f" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Trump hits major Aussie export to US with 100 per cent tariff</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Why does Donald Trump seem aggrieved with NATO?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump has repeatedly raised concerns with NATO since his first term as president.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His source of pain seems to be the belief that the US does more for the treaty than its European members, telling Reuters on Wednesday that NATO is a "one-way street".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>All NATO members contribute to a shared defence budget to maintain the treaty and defence operations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US accounts for roughly two-thirds of the treaty's total defence spend.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This is, however, because the US has an estimated higher GDP than all the 31 other NATO countries combined.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump has also been critical of treaty members' defence spending, which used to be a target of two per cent of their individual GDP.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NATO members seem to be trying to keep the peace and in June agreed to raise their defence spending target to five per cent of their GDP by 2035.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US spends about 3.4 per cent of its own GDP on defence but, because of its higher GDP, that figure equates to almost $1 trillion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Tensions have also arisen from Trump's repeated threats to take control of Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark (a treaty member). </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/deb-knight-opinion-uncertain-times/343e77ac-9608-4858-8bb8-6f9e99c8dad2" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>We were all set for prime time, then we were let down with a thud</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Can the US actually withdraw from NATO?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yes, but it won't be easy. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>First, Trump will need to convince the Senate or Congress to support his decision to do so. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A law passed in 2023 makes it illegal for a president to "suspend, terminate, denounce, or withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty" without the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of Congress.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This was introduced after Trump's repeated threats to leave NATO raised concern about whether he actually had the power to withdraw without approval.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While Democrats largely support the treaty, there is mixed support from Republicans. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Then, Trump will have to provide all the NATO countries a formal, written notice of his withdrawal a year before it can take effect.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Article 13 of the NATO charter states that "any Party may cease to be a Party one year after its notice of denunciation has been given to the Government of the United States of America, which will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each notice of denunciation".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In saying that, Trump has bypassed rules and laws before. The most recent example being when he failed to seek approval from Congress before attacking Iran on February 28. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>