President Donald Trump’s proposal effectively asks the NATO alliance to sign a blank check, committing to a course of extreme economic action with no guarantee of the outcome and no details on the implementation. The plan is long on demands and short on specifics.
The call for “50% to 100% tariffs on China” is a prime example. This is not a detailed policy but a vast range of possibilities. Agreeing to it would mean committing to a potential trade war of unknown severity and duration, the costs of which are impossible to calculate in advance.
Similarly, the demand for a full oil embargo is a commitment to endure significant economic disruption without a clear, detailed plan from the U.S. on how it will help mitigate the consequences for the most affected allies.
Allies are being asked to trust that Trump’s promise of a “quick” end to the war will materialize if they make these open-ended commitments. It is a significant request for faith in his judgment, asking them to sign on to a strategy whose ultimate costs and consequences remain dangerously undefined.