Trump Targets NATO with ’Naughty List’

By Staff, Agencies

The White House has reportedly drawn up a NATO “naughty and nice” list that sorts member states into tiers based on their support for the US war on Iran, with plans to reward “model allies” and penalize those that did not back Washington.

According to Politico, the internal paper was prepared ahead of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent trip to Washington.

It reportedly lays out members’ contributions to the bloc and appears to reflect Pentagon rhetoric about “model allies” deserving “special favor,” while others face “consequences.”

The administration has not publicly spelled out what punishments are on the table. But officials cited by Politico said options could include shifting troops, scaling back exercises, or redirecting military cooperation away from “bad” members and toward more obedient ones.

That could benefit countries such as Poland and Romania, both seen as being in Trump’s good graces. Poland already hosts around 10,000 US troops, while Romania’s expanded Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base has been singled out as a potential site that could take more American forces.

For years, Trump has criticised European NATO members over defence spending, despite their heavy funding of Ukraine and rising militarization over Russia fears. The divide has widened over Iran, with Spain, Britain, and France reportedly resisting US requests, while Romania and Bulgaria were seen as more cooperative on logistics and basing.

In practice, the reported “naughty list” could give Trump another way to hollow out NATO without formally quitting it and turn the treaty into a more openly transactional arrangement.

Trump has made little secret of his contempt for members he sees as freeloaders or cowards. Earlier this month, he blasted NATO over its reluctance to join the Iran fight, while Rutte again found himself trying to smooth things over after already being ridiculed for calling Trump “Daddy.”