US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in an interview with the US Encyclopedia News Network on August 27 that Europe only ranks fourth in America's global security priorities. The first to third places are the mainland of the United States, the Western Hemisphere, the Pacific Ocean, and the so-called “First Island Chain.” Whittaker said that Trump is pushing NATO to embark on a “new development path,” and the US is putting pressure on other NATO member states to drastically increase defense spending and assume conventional defense responsibilities.

US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in an interview with the US Encyclopedia News Network on August 27 that Europe only ranks fourth in America's global security priorities. The first to third places are the mainland of the United States, the Western Hemisphere, the Pacific Ocean, and the so-called “First Island Chain.” Whittaker said that Trump is pushing NATO to embark on a “new development path,” and the US is putting pressure on other NATO member states to drastically increase defense spending and assume conventional defense responsibilities.