Amid mounting concern on Capitol Hill over recent remarks from the Trump administration, senior lawmakers in the United States have moved to draw a clear legal boundary around the country’s conduct toward its allies. On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced new legislation aimed at preventing the use of American military or diplomatic resources to seize, occupy, or otherwise assert control over the territory of a fellow NATO member without that country’s explicit consent.
The proposed law, titled the NATO Unity Protection Act, was introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a senior Republican. Together, they framed the bill as a necessary safeguard to protect the principles that have underpinned the transatlantic alliance since the end of the Second World War, particularly respect for sovereignty and mutual trust among allies.
The timing of the legislation reflects growing unease in Congress following statements from the Trump administration that appeared to suggest the United States could seek control over Greenland. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which is a founding member of NATO, and lawmakers fear that even speculative rhetoric about such a move could seriously damage the credibility and cohesion of the alliance at a time of heightened global tension.
Senator Shaheen warned that NATO’s strength rests on unity, mutual confidence, and an unambiguous respect for the territorial integrity of each member state. She said that any implication that the United States might use its power to take over or control the land of a NATO ally would fundamentally undermine the alliance, weaken American security, and provide strategic advantages to rival powers. According to her, the bill is designed to make it unmistakably clear that US taxpayer money cannot be used for actions that would fracture NATO or contradict Washington’s own treaty commitments.
Senator Murkowski echoed these concerns, emphasising that America’s network of alliances, particularly NATO, remains one of its greatest strategic assets in competition with countries such as Russia and China. She described the idea of the United States deploying its immense military or diplomatic resources against an ally as deeply alarming, arguing that Congress must reject such a possibility outright by embedding clear prohibitions into law.
If enacted, the NATO Unity Protection Act would bar the use of Department of Defense funds for any operation intended to blockade, occupy, annex, or conduct military action against the sovereign territory of a NATO member state, unless that action is explicitly authorised by the country concerned or approved collectively by the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s highest decision-making body. In parallel, the legislation would prevent the State Department from formulating or supporting diplomatic or strategic plans aimed at asserting control over an ally’s territory.
At the same time, the bill carefully preserves the United States’ ability to defend itself and its allies. It clarifies that the restrictions would not apply in cases of self-defence, collective defence, or responses to an imminent armed threat, ensuring that NATO’s core mission of mutual protection remains intact.
Supporters of the legislation argue that NATO has been the backbone of global security since its founding in 1949, anchoring the post–World War II international order through the principle of collective defence. That principle, enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, holds that an attack on one member is an attack on all, and it depends on the absolute respect for each member’s sovereignty.
Lawmakers caution that any erosion of these principles, especially if driven from within the alliance itself, could have far-reaching consequences. A breakdown of trust inside NATO, they warn, would weaken deterrence, embolden adversaries, and destabilise regions ranging from Europe to the Arctic, signalling a dangerous shift away from the rules-based order that has governed international relations for decades.
By putting forward the NATO Unity Protection Act, Senators Shaheen and Murkowski aim to send a strong bipartisan message that the United States remains committed to its allies and to the foundational values of the alliance. The legislation is intended not only as a legal safeguard, but also as a clear statement that any attempt to threaten or undermine the sovereignty of a NATO member would face firm opposition from Congress.
