Trump considers US exit from NATO
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has stated that he is seriously considering the possibility of the US withdrawing from NATO. This is because the Alliance did not join the United States’ operation against Iran.
When asked if he was ready to reconsider US membership in NATO following the conflict with Iran, Trump replies: "Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration".
The US President adds that he never believed in NATO.
"I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way," he says.
Trump also notes that the US had supported NATO, particularly in the war against Ukraine.
"We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us," Trump remarks.
The Telegraph reports that sources close to the president have indicated he is also considering the withdrawal of US troops from Germany, a move he has been contemplating since returning to office last year.
According to The Guardian, the Telegraph interview took place after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US may have to reconsider its relationship with NATO after the war against Iran ends.
Trump emphasizes that he was pleased that Rubio had made these comments.
Background
Yesterday, during a conversation with a Fox News host, Rubio questioned the value of NATO after European allies blocked access to their bases and airspace for strikes against Iran.
He said that they would have to reassess the value of NATO and the alliance for their country, adding that ultimately the decision had to be made by the president and that he would have to make it.
US-NATO relations
The US-Israeli operation against Iran led to the blockade of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which most oil exports from the Persian Gulf pass.
This triggered a sharp spike in global energy prices.
In response to Donald Trump’s call for NATO allies to send a fleet to unblock the strait, the Alliance showed restraint.
President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that France had no intention of intervening in a conflict it did not choose.
After that, Trump harshly criticized NATO and accused the allies of cowardice. He called the Alliance a paper tiger.
The US President also believes that NATO has failed the test, as Alliance members refused to participate in the American operation against Iran.
