Donald Trump could reportedly punish “helpless” NATO nations after he criticized the alliance for “failing” in its response to the Iran war.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said he understood Washington’s frustration as he also agreed with Trump, saying: “Not all European nations lived up to those commitments”.
Trump is now said to be considering a plan to pull troops out of some NATO countries and move them to more “supportive” allies. wall street journal.
It comes like this
The proposal – which is reportedly still in “early concept” – would fall short of Trump’s recent threats to withdraw from the alliance altogether.
Europe’s worst nightmare
After Trump’s threat, the horrifying reality of America leaving NATO came to light.
EU what?
Keir Starmer says ‘closer’ ties with EU the only way to weather Iran war ‘storm’
By LawThe Trump administration will not be able to withdraw the US from NATO without first getting Congressional approval.
It is unclear which countries may be in Trump’s path, but he has shared heated exchanges with the leaders of Britain’s Keir Starmer and Spain. pedro Sanchez in recent weeks.
The shocking claims came as Rutte held top-secret talks with Trump on Wednesday as they reportedly spoke about the future of NATO at the White House.
Rutte, known in Europe as the “Trump Whisperer”, was seen entering the West Wing through a side gate, before the doors were closed tightly behind him.
Shortly after the meeting, Trump issued a harsh statement regarding NATO.
“NATO weren’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again,” he said.
Trump directly mentions Greenland in Truth Social post after US publicly tried to seize the island for months denmark.
The US President has already sworn by this Take Danish overseas territory “the hard way” If Dane did not hand over control.
Denmark – a proud NATO member – called on its allies to condemn Trump’s comments as he warned it would invoke Article 5 if the US launched an invasion.
Article 5 is an agreed agreement between all allies stating that an armed attack against any member will be considered an attack against all.
iran The war has put further pressure on the coalition as Trump has rebuked some members for their slow response to the conflict.
He has spent weeks sending NATO warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help reopen the vital trade waterway after Iran blocked it.
America also called allies like UK and France – Supporting the conflict and allowing US forces to use air bases close to the Gulf.
Trump said last week he was on the verge of quitting NATO after the alliance’s “terrible” showing of support in the Middle East.
“NATO was tested and they failed,” White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt was quoted as saying by Trump yesterday.
He said it was “regretful that NATO has turned its back on the American people”.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has made the latest effort to calm concerns of an irreconcilable rift between members with his visit to Washington.
He told CNN that he had a “frank and open” discussion with Trump: “All the European countries did not live up to those commitments and I completely understand that he is disappointed by that.”
He added: “I was also able to point to the fact that the vast majority of European countries have been helpful, with basing, with logistics, with overflights, to ensure that they live up to the commitments.”
Rutte also faced backlash in January after Trump took a dig at his European allies, claiming they were “staying away from the front lines” in Afghanistan.
Experts warned The Sun last week that pulling the US out of NATO would be one of the “worst crises in the alliance’s history” and cause months of panic.
Trump’s current secretary of state, Marco Rubio, also met separately with Rutte on Wednesday morning for their top-secret meeting at the State Department.
In a statement, the State Department said Rubio and Rutte discussed the war with Iran as well as U.S. efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and increase coordination and burden shifting with NATO allies.
One of the main areas of concern between NATO and the US in Iran is the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump branded NATO allies “cowards” and called the grouping “terrible”, telling fuel-starved members to “get their own oil” from the Strait of Hormuz.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been a particular source of Trump’s frustration, is now in the Gulf to discuss the war with allies.
His Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has demanded that no tolls be imposed by Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, after it was reported that the regime was setting up a “toll booth” system for ships to pass through.
Why did the rift arise between America and NATO?
Donald Trump has launched a series of fiery attacks against NATO since launching Operation Epic Fury on Iran in late February.
Most of these verbal attacks involve the US President accusing his allies of not supporting him during the war.
He has been vocal about asking for help from NATO warships – particularly Britain – to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed by Tehran.
Trump calls NATO allies “cowards” after refusing to send ships to the Middle East.
He said on Truth Social: “NATO nations have done absolutely nothing to help the mad nation of Iran, which is now militarily destroyed.”
The war also led Trump to engage with NATO leaders like Britain’s Keir Starmer and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez.
Trump branded Sir Keir “no Winston Churchill” as he criticized the UK Prime Minister for his reluctance to let the US use British bases to attack Tehran.
He then threatened to cut off all trade with Spain after Prime Minister Sánchez announced that he would block the US from using its military bases as part of the operation in Iran.
“We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” he said.
Even before the war in Iran began, Trump attacked NATO as he claimed some allies were “staying away from the front lines” in Afghanistan.
The coalition responded by reminding them that hundreds of Allied soldiers had died fighting side by side with American forces.
The war in Ukraine has also been a major point of contention within NATO.
Trump claimed last September that NATO had never been 100 percent committed to ending the conflict – as they had tried their best to broker a peace deal.
He ordered the alliance to put pressure on Putin, as he also promised: “If NATO does as I say, the war will end quickly, and all those lives will be saved!”
“One of the key things the Prime Minister will be talking to Gulf partners about is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz which is important for our Gulf partners,” Cooper told the BBC.
“This is their trade route, but it is also important to the global economy and no country should be able to hijack those international shipping transit routes like Iran has.
“That is why it is so important that we have this international cooperation to keep up the pressure to fully open the strait.
“Not to impose tolls, not to impose restrictions, but to fully reopen.”
Starmer has previously strongly defended NATO, saying that it is “by far the most effective military alliance in the world”.
