Key allies left out of Trump’s new in-crowd NATO group
Some of Europe’s biggest defense spenders — and U.S. allies — were not invited to a Pentagon-led meeting to discuss the alliance.
The Trump administration is intentionally omitting several major NATO allies from an upcoming meeting in Poland, following threats of a "naughty and nice list" against governments that have not met the president's priorities. The planned gathering, spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, is a working group focused on NATO's future.
However, countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Baltic nations, which are significant defense spenders and key members of the alliance, have been left out. Diplomats familiar with the planning are puzzled by the administration's actions, questioning whether it is favoring certain allies and potentially splitting the already strained alliance.
Excluded allies are left wondering about the criteria for inclusion and the purpose of these secretive meetings. The White House has not responded to inquiries about the list, and the Pentagon declined to comment.
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