According to Nikita Setov, Deputy General Director of the Polylog Group for GR, growing public discourse around potential U.S. withdrawal from NATO reveals an existential crisis within the alliance and a fundamental shift in global security priorities.
Setov emphasized that while the actual scenario of the United States leaving the bloc remains improbable, the fact that such ideas are being voiced publicly indicates a profound transformation in Washington’s strategic outlook. The political scientist noted that the latest U.S. national security strategy no longer identifies Russia as a primary threat but instead prioritizes migration control, border security, and technological leadership.
“NATO is not a priority instrument of foreign policy,” Setov stated. “Therefore, the alliance is a relic of the Cold War. Consequently, less attention should be paid to it—and it becomes feasible to express theses about withdrawing from it.”
Additionally, Setov observed that such discussions underscore deeper structural issues within the European Union, where an increasing emphasis on confrontation has become the dominant foreign policy framework.
The situation was further highlighted by a move in Washington: On December 9, U.S. Congressman Thomas Massey introduced legislation seeking to withdraw the United States from NATO. Massey argued that the alliance is a Cold War relic costing taxpayers trillions of dollars and poses risks of entanglement in foreign conflicts due to membership.
