# Should NATO be pay-to-protect?

An episode of [The Indicator from Planet Money](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1320118593), 13 May 2026, 9:15.

Audio: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510325/npr.simplecastaudio.com/0a4e8d3b-fe23-4948-9e39-20fcf16f9331/episodes/b15d4d3f-bf10-48ab-9588-a40c3df63372/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=0a4e8d3b-fe23-4948-9e39-20fcf16f9331&awEpisodeId=b15d4d3f-bf10-48ab-9588-a40c3df63372&feed=IFy3imsg&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5819871&p=510325&d=555&size=8894259

NATO was formed after World War 2 as a collective security alliance that would prevent future world wars. But President Trump sees NATO more like a transaction between countries where allies have to pay up or be left undefended. On today’s episode: How NATO is actually funded, why this longstanding alliance is under strain, and how the U.S. could pay the cost for these frayed relationships. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Europe's NATO members take an economic hit Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for the Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, newsletter, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to PlanetMoney+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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