Trump to deprive some NATO member states of Article 5 rights - media

US President Donald Trump is considering radical changes to NATO's structure to punish countries that fail to meet his demands for defense funding.

According to The Telegraph, citing sources, Trump wants to limit allies' decision-making and even deprive them of the right to invoke Article 5 of the alliance if they do not increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.

According to the newspaper, the US president is also once again discussing the possibility of withdrawing US troops from Germany, a move he has been considering since returning to the presidency. Sources told reporters: "Our frustration with the Europeans is very real. Any country that does not pay 5% should not be allowed to vote on future NATO spending."

Under Trump's proposals, states that fail to meet the new target could be excluded from decisions on alliance enlargement, joint missions and the use of Article 5 on mutual defense.

"You shouldn't be able to vote to spend future money if you’re not paying," the source emphasized.

NATO officials confirmed to The Telegraph that no formal American proposal has been presented at the headquarters in Brussels. However, the US has already pushed for a "pay to play" model in discussion forums.

Today, all alliance members spend at least 2% of GDP on defense, and Trump's goal of 5% will be a key issue at the Ankara summit at the end of the year, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.