Trump threatens to pull US troops from two more European countries
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that Washington may consider reducing its military presence not only in Germany but also in other European countries, according to Trump's briefing in the Oval Office.
During his conversation with journalists, Trump was asked whether a similar decision regarding Italy and Spain is possible.
"Yeah, probably. Yeah, I probably will. You know, look, why shouldn't I?" he replied.
He reproached his NATO allies, likely due to their criticism of US operations in the Middle East and the unwillingness of Spain and Italy to support the war against Iran.
"Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible," Trump stated.
Tensions between the US and NATO
Earlier, Trump said that Washington is studying the possibility of reducing the military contingent in Germany, but did not provide details on the scale or timing.
This is not the first signal from the Trump administration regarding a review of the US military presence in Europe. Washington has repeatedly accused its NATO allies of insufficient defense spending.
Furthermore, the administration of US President Donald Trump has developed a kind of ranking of NATO allies — dividing them into obedient and disobedient.
According to Reuters, the Pentagon prepared several scenarios for sanctions against those member countries that refused to support the military operation against Iran. The document reflected the US side's frustration with the position of some allies.
