Trump made a statement regarding the US withdrawal from NATO
Kyiv • UNN
The US President called the alliance a "paper tiger." The reason was Europe's refusal to help in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump told The Telegraph that he is seriously considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after the country refused to join his war against Iran, UNN reports.
Details
The US President called the alliance a "paper tiger" and said that America's exclusion from the defense treaty is now "not subject to review," the publication notes.
This is the strongest indication that the White House no longer considers Europe a reliable partner in defense after rejecting Trump's demand that allies send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the publication writes.
Trump was asked if he would reconsider US membership in NATO after the conflict.
Oh yes, I would say [it] is not subject to review. I was never convinced by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin, by the way, knows that too.
NATO partners, the publication writes, were reluctant to help reopen the strait, through which 20 percent of the world's oil supplies usually pass. Tehran effectively closed the strait for several weeks, leading to a sharp rise in global oil and gas prices and the threat of a global recession.
Trump added: "Beyond not being there, it was really hard to believe. And I didn't have big talks. I just said, 'Hey,' you know, I didn't push too hard. I just think it should be automatic."
"We were there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine was not our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always be there for them. They were not there for us," he said.
Singling out Great Britain, the US President reproached the country's Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to intervene in the American-Israeli war against Iran, suggesting that the Royal Navy would not be able to cope with the task.
"You don't even have a navy. You're too old, and you had aircraft carriers that didn't work," he said, referring to the state of the British fleet of warships.
When asked if the British Prime Minister should spend more on defense, Trump added: "I'm not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn't matter. All Starmer wants is expensive windmills that drive your energy prices through the roof."
Following his comments, Starmer reportedly reaffirmed his support for NATO, calling it "the most effective military alliance the world has ever seen."
The British Prime Minister made it clear that he would seek closer relations with Europe in response to deteriorating relations with Washington, and stated that, "regardless of the noise," he would act in British interests.
He said: "This is not our war, and we are not going to get involved in it."
At the same time, the publication indicates that the White House is increasingly frustrated with its long-standing partners regarding their position in the war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused NATO of being a "one-way street," lashing out at US allies on Tuesday for not providing access to their military bases.
Speaking on Fox News hours before the interview with Trump, Rubio said that America would have to "reconsider" its membership in NATO after the end of the war in Iran.
"I think there is no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict ends, we will have to reconsider these relations," he pointed out.
"If NATO is only about us defending Europe if they are attacked, but at the same time denying us the right to base when we need it, that's not a very good arrangement. It's hard to stay involved in that arrangement," Rubio said.
Trump told The Telegraph that he was "glad" Rubio made those comments.
Last week, The Telegraph reported that Trump was considering reorganizing NATO, designed to punish members who do not meet his funding requirements.
Any decision to withdraw the US from NATO would require congressional approval. In 2023, the country's legislature passed a law prohibiting the president from "suspending, terminating, denouncing, or withdrawing" the United States from NATO without the consent of the Senate or an act of Congress.