Middle East War: Europeans have received loud and clear Donald Trumps message on defense, says NATO chief

President Trump accuses several European partners of refusing any military or logistical contribution to Washington’s operations in the Strait of Hormuz against Iran.

Published on 04/05/2026 10:55

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

The European leaders have “received loud and clear” Donald Trump’s message of frustration about Iran, as stated by NATO chief Mark Rutte on Monday, May 4, following the sudden announcement of the withdrawal of American troops from Germany. “The United States has been somewhat disappointed by the European response to the current situation in the Middle East,” declared the Secretary-General of the Alliance upon his arrival at a summit in Armenia.

“I would say that, according to all my contacts among European leaders, they have understood the message from the United States, they have received it loud and clear, and are taking it to the next level,” he affirmed.

Shaken by Donald Trump’s decision to remove 5000 American troops from Germany, the Europeans also assured that they would accelerate the strengthening of their own defense capabilities. The timing chosen by Donald Trump to announce this withdrawal was “a surprise,” even if this decision itself was expected, highlighted the EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

“I think this shows that we really need to strengthen the European pillar of NATO, and we really need to do more,” she added on the sidelines of a summit of the European Political Community in Yerevan. “Europeans are taking control of their destiny, increasing their defense and security spending, and building their common solutions,” echoed French President Emmanuel Macron.

Donald Trump accuses several European partners of refusing any military or logistical contribution to Washington’s operations in the Strait of Hormuz against Iran. He specifically stated last week the possibility of reducing American forces stationed in Germany after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that “Americans (evidently had) no strategy” regarding Iran.