US still participates in NATO despite criticism — newspaper

WASHINGTON, April 2. /TASS/. Despite criticism from US President Donald Trump, the US has not yet taken any concrete steps to reduce its participation in NATO, Politico reported. According to the newspaper, despite "all of President Donald Trump’s threats and anger over allies’ refusal to assist with the US military campaign [against Iran], his rhetoric has yet to be matched by any signs of concrete action." Politico’s sources in Congress, the Pentagon, and among diplomats from alliance countries noted that "the administration has not had the kinds of discussions needed to leave" NATO. Sources told the newspaper that "the US has not started any debate inside NATO or issued specific directives on Washington’s role in the alliance." The US administration has not notified American lawmakers of the possibility of scaling back participation in the alliance, the article pointed out. This possibility is also not being discussed in detail at the Pentagon. "[There is] no evidence it’s real," one of the souces pointed out, referring to the possibility of the US withdrawing from NATO, which by law would require Senate approval. According to another diplomatic source from among the alliance’s member states, the US leader’s high-profile statements "rarely translate into a structural break with NATO." "Let’s not forget that the alliance still serves core US strategic interests," he added. Another diplomatic source stressed that the US president’s threats regarding the weakening of ties with NATO are more like a "bluff." At the same time, Politico pointed out that European officials fear that the US leader "might try a different tack: stay in the alliance but starve NATO of high-level attention and military assets." "With Trump in office, NATO is worthless," a German official told the newspaper. "We might have NATO, but we no longer have an alliance. We’re biding our time here, but the damage is immense," he added.