NATO Is Going Strong, Actually
Despite President Trump's aggressive rhetoric and threats toward NATO, the alliance remains resilient and essential for global security. The article argues that institutional realities and the strategic interests of member nations outweigh the political volatility of the current US administration.
Why it matters
Understanding the stability of NATO is vital for assessing global geopolitical security and the durability of international alliances under populist leadership.
Trump hasn’t made the alliance less resilient or less necessary.
Michael Kappeler / Picture Alliance / Getty July 12, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save Donald Trump has long treated NATO like a punching bag, leading many observers to proclaim the demise of the Western alliance. Some analysts have called NATO “a zombie alliance.” Others have announced that the United States is decoupling from Europe, or have pronounced the North Atlantic pact “ dead in the water.”
And yet, the quiet reality is that NATO, albeit wounded, is actually going strong. The alliance is resilient enough to withstand the abuse heaped upon it by a U.S. president, and too vital to the security of its members for either Europeans or Americans to allow it to fall prey to Trump’s whims.
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