US Support of NATO and Ukraine Wavering Under Donald Trump

Beginning on Tuesday, July 2nd, a 2-day NATO meeting in Ankara, Turkey, will discuss the organization’s support of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will visit to ask for support from NATO during this meeting.

With now over 30 nations, NATO was formed after World War 2 to defend each other if one of them were attacked. Even though Ukraine is not a member of NATO, members of NATO believe that protecting Ukraine is an important step toward protecting the rest of Europe.

But under President Donald Trump, US support for both NATO and Ukraine remains uncertain. Mr. Trump has changed his ideas about supporting Ukraine many times. According to News For Kids, he has even President Zelensky.

In recent months, the Russia-Ukraine War has gotten more intense, but with the US and Israel’s war with Iran, it has gotten less attention. Furthermore, Trump often complains about NATO and questions whether the US should continue to be a member. He even suggested that the US does not need to defend other NATO countries if they get attacked, which is exactly why NATO was created.

Currently, Trump is upset with NATO for not aiding the US in its war with Iran. But NATO was created as a defense mechanism, meaning that they only fight if one of them gets attacked, not when one of its members starts a war.

Trump also complained about European countries not spending enough money on their militaries. While that might have been the case before, according to News For Kids, European countries and Canada recently increased their military spending by 139 billion dollars. One reason for the increase in the military was that NATO members are no longer sure if they can depend on the US.

Turkey has NATO’s second-largest military and is also a bridge between Europe and Asia. But there is unease regarding Turkey’s latest situation. According to News For Kids, lately, the government of Turkey has arrested groups, claiming to be investigating terrorists. But these people have included everyday professors, lawyers, and reporters. Many people see a big difference between NATO’s aims versus the Turkish government’s questionable actions.