Russia appears to be celebrating Donald Trump’s skepticism of NATO after he suggested he might remove the US from the organization. According to Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor who translates Russian media, the country’s major newspapers have published stories on the case.
One was headlined, “Trump announces he’s ready to pull US out of NATO”, while another wrote, “The divisions in NATO deepen. If Washington pulls out, alliance could cease to exist”. This comes after the US President said he would reconsider whether the US should still be part of the alliance in the wake of the Iran war.
talking to WireMr Trump said the alliance was a “paper tiger” and withdrawing the US from the defense treaty was now “beyond reconsideration”.
Asked whether he would reconsider US membership in the alliance after the conflict, he said: “Oh yes, I would say (it) is beyond reconsideration.
“I have never been fooled by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows it too.”
It was criticized by Sir Keir Starmer, who has so far refused to get involved in Mr Trump’s campaign in the Middle East and has reiterated his commitment to NATO, which he has called “the most effective military alliance the world has ever seen”.
The Prime Minister said: “First of all, NATO is by far the most effective military alliance in the world, and it has kept us secure for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO.
“Secondly, whatever pressure I and others may face, whatever noise there may be, whatever decisions I take will act in the British national interest.
