He has not ruled out using force, raising concerns in Europe about the possibility of a direct confrontation between NATO allies. 3 / 8Formation and Purpose of NATO NATO was formed on April 4, 1949, by 12 countries from Europe and North America. Reuters reports that Trump’s 10% tariffs on some European allies could potentially lead to a direct confrontation between NATO members. 7 / 8Funding NATO Each NATO member contributes to the alliance’s operating costs based on a formula linked to Gross National Income (GNI). Notably, all these countries, along with the US, are NATO members.

Source: News 24 January 20, 2026 19:01 UTC