President Donald Trump stated in an interview published on Wednesday that he was considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, calling the defense alliance a “paper tiger.”
“I would say (it’s) beyond reconsideration,” he stated, as reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph.
“I have never been influenced by NATO. I always knew it was a paper tiger, and Putin knows it too,” Trump added.
Trump has expressed frustration several times with Western allies who did not respond to his call to assemble a naval force to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed by Tehran as conflict in the Middle East rages on.
“I had a hard time believing it. And I didn’t make a big point of it. I just said, ‘Hey,’ you know, I didn’t push too hard. I just think it should be automatic,” Trump said.
These remarks were echoed by U.S. Secretary of State, who stated that the United States should “re-examine” its relationship with NATO.
“I believe there is no doubt that, unfortunately, once this conflict is over, we will have to reassess this relationship. We will have to reassess NATO’s value in this alliance for our country,” Marco Rubio said on Fox News.
Rubio, who had been a strong supporter of NATO in the U.S. Senate, emphasized the importance of U.S. military bases in Europe, allowing the American military to project power across different parts of the world.
“If we reach a point where NATO’s alliance means we can no longer use these bases to defend U.S. interests, then NATO is a one-way street,” Rubio added.
Rubio went further, questioning why the U.S. was part of NATO if allies refused American requests to use their military bases for operations against Iran.
These comments come after several European countries banned the U.S. military from using bases on their soil. Italy even denied permission for an American plane to land en route to the Middle East for a combat mission.
Spain also closed its airspace to American aircraft conducting missions against Iran.
Defending the Alliance
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended NATO on Tuesday, calling it the “most effective military alliance the world has ever known.”
“It has ensured our security for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO,” Starmer said at a press conference, announcing a meeting of approximately 35 countries to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper will oversee these discussions, according to Starmer, although the timing was not specified.
The meeting will evaluate diplomatic and political measures to restore navigation freedom, ensure the safety of ships and trapped sailors, and resume the flow of vital goods, the Prime Minister stated.
After the meeting, military planners will convene to discuss mobilizing capabilities and reopening the strait after the conflict ends.
The discussions will involve countries that recently signed a declaration committing to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Starmer noted, with signatories including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands.
Iran nearly completely closed this vital strait following Israeli-American airstrikes that triggered the war on February 28, causing a surge in global oil and gas prices. Normally, one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
