Strategic Partner or Dominant Power? Rethinking U.S. Influence on NATO’s Consensus Model

For decades, intergovernmental military alliance NATO has held up its consensus-based decision-making as proof of its democratic values. A system where every member has an equal voice and consensus dictates agreement through unity. Yet, as the dominant military and financial contributor, the influence of the United States has always been apparent. In 2025, does that influence increasingly override collaborative negotiation?

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Trump tells Ukraine ‘You should have never started the war, you could have given up land’

President Trump’s stance, as captured by a BBC broadcast and supported by fresh statements from his Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago, goes further than his previous rhetorical positioning. Instead of stressing deterrence through strength—his usual rationale—he placed partial responsibility on Ukraine, suggesting that a territorial concession could have averted the conflict altogether. These statements have elicited strong reactions worldwide, most notably in Ukraine itself, which has borne the brunt of the Russian invasion.

Read MoreTrump tells Ukraine ‘You should have never started the war, you could have given up land’