Donald Trump sets the course: Is Vladimir Putin now targeting these NATO capitals?

news.de Donald Trump sets the course: Is Vladimir Putin now targeting these NATO capitals? 4 hours • 2 minutes reading time The USA no longer wants to help NATO members against Putin in the future. ・The USA will not help NATO members against Russia ・Putin could now attack metropolises such as London, Brussels or Paris ・Ukraine is still not allowed to join NATO The previous peace talks on the Ukraine war between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Selenskyj have already shown that the options for a peaceful end to the war will put a lot of strain on Ukraine. A statement by a spokesman for the Trump administration is now pouring oil on the fire, because the USA will no longer support NATO members in the event of Russian attacks in the future. ・This "gift from heaven" makes Vladimir Putin rejoice ・This is the only way to end the war: Ex-Putin advisor wants Russia's military defeat ・Kremlin chief unwilling to compromise? Expert warns of secret target Trump gives NATO members the green light to be shot down According to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the United States will ignore NATO's Article 5 if Russia goes to war against Europe. NATO's Article 5 is the principle of collective defense. This ensures that NATO members rush to the aid of other member states if they become victims of a war of aggression. Even if an attack hits only one member, it is to be understood as an act of violence against all member states. What this means for NATO members in Europe was expressed very clearly by Russian political scientist Sergey Mikheyev on Russian state television: "In this situation, we should make one thing clear to the Europeans: Now we can really attack Brussels, London or Paris, because we can forget about Article 5. You can forget the idea that the USA will intervene on your behalf." Ukraine must not join NATO after the end of the war As a rule, NATO members are obliged to show solidarity with one another - this can reach the defending state in the form of direct military support, but also in the form of deliveries of weapons or important resources. After Pete Hegseth's comments, however, the other NATO members are now likely to doubt the USA's sense of duty. More important than supporting NATO states, says Hegseth, is ensuring security at one's own country's borders. To what extent Canada or Mexico apparently pose a security risk for the USA is not very clear from Hegseth's reasoning. In addition, according to the US Secretary of Defense, Ukraine should not join NATO. NATO membership would be a high security guarantee for Ukraine and could prevent future attacks from Moscow, but is only possible with the consent of all members. It remains unclear what conclusions the other NATO states will draw from the Americans' explosive move. What is certain is that the paradigm shift and the move towards a more Russia-friendly policy are likely to damage international relations - at the very least, the trust of the other NATO members in the USA is likely to be severely dented.