The White House appears to have drawn up a plan to rate NATO member states based on their stance on war with Iran, creating an informal “good and bad list” of allies as Donald Trump’s administration looks for ways to punish allies that have not supported American operations.
According to European diplomats and a US Pentagon official quoted by Politico, the plan includes an assessment of member states’ contributions to the Alliance and their classification into categories. It was prepared ahead of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent visit to Washington.
The initiative is another example of Trump’s intent to implement his threats against allies that do not align with US elections, putting additional pressure on the Alliance, which has already been tested by interventions such as the proposal to annex Greenland or the threat of a complete US withdrawal from NATO.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had hinted at this logic in December, noting that “allies that contribute significantly, such as Israel, South Korea, Poland and the Baltic states, will enjoy special treatment,” while those that do not respond “will face consequences.”
The details of the plan remain unclear, and it is not clear what the potential “benefits” or “punishments” would be. As diplomatic sources note, one possible option would be to redeploy US troops to Europe, although this would have significant costs and operational difficulties.
A White House spokesman stressed that the US has “consistently supported its allies” but has not received adequate support in Operation “Epic Fury”, warning that “the United States will remember.”
In this context, countries like Romania and Poland are considered favored, as they maintain good relations with Washington and have actively contributed to military operations or hosted American forces.
On the contrary, countries like Spain, as well as allies like the United Kingdom and France, have reportedly not fully responded to US demands, refusing or delaying their support.
The plan could lead to a differentiation of US military presence, joint exercises or arms sales, depending on each country’s stance.