Former NATO chief: Trump nomination would be ‘geopolitical catastrophe’

Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said former President Trump winning the Republican nomination for president would be a “geopolitical catastrophe” because he could influence international affairs like the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

Rasmussen, who led NATO for five years after serving as Denmark’s prime minister for more than eight years, told Politico in an interview that Trump winning the GOP nomination in 2024 would erode Republican support for the U.S. continuing to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia. 

“I call it a geopolitical catastrophe if Trump were to be nominated, because in the campaign his influence would be destructive,” he said. 

Rasmussen said opinion polls have shown a “weakening” in U.S. support for Ukraine, and Trump’s nomination could expedite that. 

A Fox News poll released last month, shortly after the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, showed that half of Americans believe the U.S. should support Ukraine “as long as it takes” to win, but a majority of Republicans want to see a set time frame to end U.S. involvement. 

Trump has consistently pushed for Russia and Ukraine to engage in negotiations to end the conflict, differing from many in his party who have remained steadfast in supporting Ukraine, especially at times when U.S. support for Ukraine was more overwhelming. 

“The mere fact that his thinking appeals to a certain element, a certain segment of the American public, will push American politics in the wrong direction,” Rasmussen said. 

He said he hopes the GOP will “get their act together” and nominate someone who is more tied to “American global leadership than Trump and Trumpists.” 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has been seen as a possible contender to Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, has joined Trump in expressing doubts about continued support for Ukraine, describing the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as a “territorial dispute” in a questionnaire that Fox News host Tucker Carlson gave to potential 2024 candidates. 

DeSantis argued that the country should not prioritize intervening in an “escalating foreign war over the defense of our own homeland.” Several top Republicans have pushed back against DeSantis’s comments after they were revealed Monday. 

Hypothetical Republican primary polls have shown Trump and DeSantis with large leads over all other potential GOP challengers.