US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on Monday criticized a Munich Security Conference report warning of a dangerous shift in US foreign policy under the Trump administration.
Speaking at a panel discussion in Berlin organized to discuss the report's findings, Whitaker dismissed the criticisms and argued that concerns about Washington's approach were unfounded.
"I completely reject everything I just heard. I don't see a world under destruction," he told participants. "We are not trying to destroy anything. We are trying to make it sustainable, to make it work," he stressed.
Whitaker also reiterated US commitments to Europe's security and emphasized that the Trump administration wants Europeans to take more responsibility and share the burden.
"We're not trying to dismantle NATO. We're trying to make NATO stronger, not to withdraw or reject NATO but make it work like it was intended, as an alliance of 32 strong and capable allies," he said.
The report by the Munich Security Conference, which was released Monday, warned that US President Donald Trump's "bulldozer" politics are destroying the international order and paving the way for a world shaped by the rich and powerful and regional hegemons.
Titled "Under Destruction," it argued that the postwar international order shaped by the US over more than 80 years was collapsing due to Trump administration policies. It predicted this collapse would profoundly impact crises and conflicts worldwide.
The report's authors said Trump's challenge to the international order went beyond policy changes. They noted that the Trump administration believed the system created after World War II—based on universal rules, international organizations and cooperation between liberal democracies—no longer served US interests.
The report also argued that Europe should increase efforts to develop defense capabilities amid growing unpredictability in Trump's foreign policy and doubts about Washington's commitment to NATO and European security.
The findings will be discussed at the 62nd Munich Security Conference, which begins Friday. Organizers expect over 200 senior government representatives from approximately 120 countries, including more than 60 heads of state and government, over 65 foreign ministers, over 30 defense ministers, and senior representatives from more than 40 international organizations.
