US officials are drafting what diplomats provocatively describe as a "naughty and nice" list ranking NATO allies based on their support for the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Fresh reporting in Politico describes the proposal, developed ahead of NATO chief Mark Rutte's visit to Washington this month, as placing member states into tiers while outlining consequences for those refusing to participate in military operations against Iran, according to European diplomats and a US defense official familiar with the discussions.
Politico writes, "It's not clear which countries fit into which category or if Rutte knows about the effort. But the Romanians and Poles could end up being some of the biggest beneficiaries, since both remain in the president’s good graces and would welcome more U.S. troops."
The designations echo earlier remarks by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who said "model allies that step up … will receive our special favor," while those who do not "will face consequences."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly has stated that countries hosting US troops "have not been there for us," and has warned - based on Trump's earlier Truth Social statements that "the United States will remember."
It should come as no surprise that Spain, alongside France and the United Kingdom, falls into the "naughty" category after rejecting or delaying requests for military support.
They have shut down airspace and bases where the US has long operated, in some instances, drawing Trump's rebuke.
In contrast, Poland and Romania stand to benefit after backing US operations and hosting US forces, with Warsaw covering much of the cost of troop deployments and Bucharest expanding base access. Bulgaria too has been seen as friendly, and really the NATO 'eastern flank' remains indispensable as Washington still tries to navigate the Russia-Ukraine war.
Baltic states are meanwhile treated as "model allies" due to consistently high defense spending aligned with US targets. The proposal allows Washington to redirect troop deployments, joint exercises, and arms sales toward these compliant states.
But as for the 'punishment' side - also after spiraling relations with Denmark over the Greenland issue - it's still anyone's guess what the US administration might ultimately do.