Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is calling for the U.S. to withdraw from NATO, claiming that the alliance is "not a reliable partner."
Greene on Tuesday proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would direct President Joe Biden to "withdraw the U.S. from NATO." Biden met with other world leaders at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the same day, pledging that the U.S. would maintain its "ironclad commitment" to the alliance.
The Georgia congresswoman has repeatedly spoken out against both NATO and the U.S. providing any kind of support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. Moscow's "special military operation" was sparked in part by objections to the expanding borders of NATO and Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand that Ukraine commit to never joining the alliance.
Greene said that she wanted the U.S. to withdraw for economic reasons while announcing her amendment, arguing that other NATO members were not paying their "fair share."
"They are not a reliable partner whose defense spending should be paid for by American citizens," Greene said while introducing the amendment. "For the better part of the last decade, Germany has contributed only around 1 percent of its GDP to finance NATO obligations, while the United States is paying around 4 percent of our GDP to defend NATO countries."
"The United States has been financing and promising to defend NATO countries for decades and paying more than its fair share," she continued. "Western European countries could and should be stepping up their financial contributions to ensure the security of NATO. Instead, they are entirely beholden to Russia and U.S. taxpayers expected to foot the bill."
Greene went on to introduce additional amendments to the bill, including bans on the U.S. sending long-range weapons and F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, arguing that doing so would "escalate the proxy war with Russia."
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email and the State Department online for comment on Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump, whom Greene strongly supports, has also frequently spoken out against NATO and the U.S. aiding Ukraine in the war with Russia. During his presidency, long before the current conflict began, Trump also threatened to take the U.S. out of the alliance entirely.
While the prospect of the U.S. withdrawing from NATO remains highly unlikely during the Biden administration, debate concerning the alliance has recently largely been focused on the potential admittance of Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
Crucially, if Ukraine were to become a member, Article 5 of the alliance's treaty would require other NATO members to defend it by directly fighting Russia, which could effectively mark the beginning of a world war.
Greene and a selection of MAGA Republicans recently blasted GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina for proposing a resolution to admit Ukraine, warning that such a move could lead to a global nuclear war.
Other Republicans and Democrats have expressed support for the idea of Ukraine becoming a member, although few have explicitly pushed for the country to be admitted while still fighting Russia.
Biden made the case for "a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to get into NATO" during a recent CNN interview, hinting that he would not support membership during the war since if were to happen, "then we're all in the war."
NATO leaders have been discussing Ukraine becoming a member during the summit in Vilnius this week. However, they have conspicuously avoided committing to a firm timeline for membership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out at the lack of a timetable on Tuesday, calling it "unprecedented and absurd" and an indication of a lack of "respect" for Ukraine.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called Ukraine's admittance "inevitable" in comments to Newsweek on Monday, while adding that there was "a common understanding" among NATO allies and the Ukrainian government that membership could not come "in the middle of the hot military crisis."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
