German Defence Minister: NATO Membership Does Not Mean 'Absolute' Obedience to the US

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has stressed that membership in NATO does not mean ‘absolute obedience’ to the United States, in response to criticism from the administration of US President Donald Trump. In an interview with weekly magazine Der Spiegel on Thursday, Pistorius said NATO works on the basis of consensus, not domination by one member state. When asked about Trump’s demands that NATO allies, including Germany, show loyalty interpreted as full obedience to Washington, Pistorius rejected the notion. ‘Obedience is not a NATO concept,’ he said. ‘We make decisions in NATO through the free consensus of all member states, without being dictated to by one particular country.’ Pistorius acknowledged that the Trump administration’s communication style sometimes sounds harsher when disagreements arise with European allies. However, he said European countries have become accustomed to this and remain focused on common interests. He also stressed that Germany is enhancing its defence capabilities on the basis of national interest, not due to external pressure. ‘We are investing massively to strengthen deterrence and defence capabilities,’ Pistorius said. ‘We are making every effort to increase the operational readiness of the German armed forces for the security of Germany and its NATO partners.’ Pistorius acknowledged that European countries had not met their NATO commitments for many years, particularly regarding defence spending. This situation, he said, was detrimental to both the alliance and the United States. Nevertheless, he assessed that the situation is now beginning to change. Pistorius said European countries have agreed on a new defence spending target and are starting to increase investments and take greater responsibility for NATO’s collective defence.