Trump defined his former attorney general as “a strong warrior and a loyal patriot, who will ensure that the interests of the United States are promoted and defended.” In addition, he noted that the candidate for new ambassador “will put America first“, the motto that trump used to promote a more isolationist foreign policy.
Whitaker was chief of staff to Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessionsand then replaced it after Sessions was fired for his decision to withdraw from the Russia investigation. Whitaker held the position for several months, on an interim basis and without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed in February 2019.
Whitaker has been a relentless critic of the federal criminal cases against Trump and has used regular appearances on Fox News to denounce “the politicization of the Justice Department” over the past four years.
Trump has repeatedly threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet the transatlantic alliance’s defense spending targets.. Article 5 of NATO’s mutual defense treaty states that an armed attack against one or more of its members will be considered an attack against the others.
At the beginning of this year, Trump said that when he was president, he warned NATO allies that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever it wanted” to “delinquent” countries. while intensifying its attacks on foreign aid and old international alliances.
The appointment of Matt Whitaker, in the middle of the war between Russia and Ukraine
Whitaker will lead the US mission to NATO during a period when the defensive alliance may still face one of its toughest challenges: how to continue supporting Ukraine in his war against Russia.
He is also likely to be tasked with increasing pressure on alliance countries to increase their defense spending, renewing an effort Trump undertook in his first term. Already during his first government, the Republican was very critical of NATO and disgraced his partners in the Atlantic Alliance for not allocating enough money to collective defense.
NATO in the crosshairs
Earlier this year, NATO announced it would establish a mission to coordinate the supply of military equipment and training to Ukraine. –an effort that has been largely led by the US. This was a move that some saw as an attempt to “make support Trump-proof.”
The president and Vice President-elect JD Vance have cast doubt on the level of continued U.S. commitment to kyiv as the war drags on more than two and a half years since the beginning of the invasion by Russian forces.
During the campaign, Trump also indicated that he would only adhere to NATO’s mutual defense commitment for countries that are contributing enough of their annual budgets to defense.. He said during the campaign that “one of the presidents of a great country” at one point asked him if the US would continue defending the country if they were invaded by Russia, even if “they don’t pay.”
“No, I wouldn’t protect you,” Trump recalled telling that president. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You have to pay. You have to pay your bills.”
Source: Ambito
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