- Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev dismissed President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw the United States from NATO, saying Congress would not allow such a move.
- Medvedev said even symbolic U.S. steps such as troop reductions or supply cutoffs could still weaken alliance cohesion at a time of heightened tensions with Europe.
Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on Friday dismissed President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw the United States from NATO, calling the rhetoric political showmanship.
In comments carried by Russian media, Medvedev said he did not believe Washington would actually leave the alliance, arguing that neither the political system nor Congress would allow such a move.
“Of course, neither Trump nor America will leave NATO. There is no point, and Congress will not allow it,” Medvedev wrote. “Trump’s rhetoric is pure showmanship. Although symbolic steps, such as reducing the size of the American contingent or refusing to supply something, are possible. But that is not the most notable thing.”
His remarks came as debate intensified in Washington and Europe after Trump said he was “absolutely” considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, a threat that has reopened concerns about the future of the alliance and U.S. security guarantees to Europe.
The latest dispute has unfolded during what many diplomats and analysts describe as one of the deepest rifts between Washington and its European allies in decades. Reuters reported on Friday that Trump’s anger over European nations’ refusal to support U.S.-Israeli military operations linked to Iran had pushed NATO into its sharpest crisis since its founding in 1949.
Although legal barriers make an outright U.S. withdrawal difficult, the political signal alone has already unsettled allied capitals. Under legislation passed in recent years, a formal exit from NATO would require Senate approval or an act of Congress, limiting the president’s ability to withdraw unilaterally.
That has not reduced concerns in Europe. Analysts note that even without a formal departure, reductions in U.S. troop presence, delays in military aid, or a softer commitment to Article 5 collective defense obligations could have an immediate strategic effect.
Medvedev appeared to lean into that point, suggesting that the threat itself is strategically useful to Moscow even if it is never carried out.
The comments also align with broader Russian messaging aimed at highlighting divisions within NATO. Moscow has long sought to portray the alliance as politically fragile, particularly at moments of disagreement between Washington and European capitals.
Foreign correspondent Mark Bennetts of The Times noted that Trump has made similar threats before, but that the latest remarks come during the most serious split between the United States and Europe since the alliance was formed to counter the Soviet Union.
For Russia, the strategic value lies less in a legal withdrawal than in the weakening of alliance cohesion and confidence.