"The President shall not withdraw support from NATO."
This bill would prevent President Trump from withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. The legislation was passed by the House in response to reports that the President had proposed withdrawing from the alliance of western nations.
NATO is a political and military alliance between North American and European countries. It is comprised of 29 nations including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. From their website: "NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defence and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict." It does not include Russia.
NATO has expressed concerns over Russian military activity. From their website: "NATO’s concerns go well beyond Russia’s activities in Ukraine. The Allies continue to express their support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova within their internationally recognised borders and call on Russia to withdraw the forces it has stationed in all three countries without their consent." You can read more about NATO-Russia relations here.
Withdrawing the United States from NATO would benefit Russian interests, which has garnered criticism of the President's proposition, especially in light of ongoing investigations of Russian interference in U.S. elections. On January 17th, the same day that the House passed this bill, the President clarified "We will be with NATO 100%."
