President Donald Trump has once again revealed his deeply transactional view of international alliances, warning NATO partners that they are “just wasting my time” if they fail to meet his specific economic conditions for confronting Russia. The statement underscores his belief that alliances are useful only insofar as they serve U.S. interests as he defines them.
This perspective was evident in his Truth Social post, where cooperation from allies was not requested but demanded as a prerequisite for U.S. action. The promise of “major Sanctions” from the U.S. is not a commitment to collective security, but a commodity to be traded for a complete Russian oil ban.
The President’s concluding remark—”If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the United States”—perfectly encapsulates this worldview. It frames the transatlantic relationship not as a partnership built on shared values, but as a business deal where he expects a clear return on American investment.
This transactionalism also extends to his proposal for China tariffs, which he presents as a logical step for the alliance to take to help “end this deadly, but ridiculous war.” For Trump, the purpose of NATO in this conflict is to be a tool for his specific economic strategy, and any hesitation is simply a waste of his time.