President Donald Trump is furious with his NATO partners, accusing them of failing to aid the U.S. in Iran while reportedly considering punishing those allies he feels did not contribute enough to the war.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday evening.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump met with former Dutch prime minister and current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump planned to have a “a very frank and candid” conversation with Rutte about his frustrations with the alliance.
At a White House briefing before the meeting, Leavitt told reporters that Trump “has discussed” pulling out of NATO and shared a “direct quote” from the president concerning his feelings on the member nations.
“They were tested, and they failed,” Leavitt said, quoting Trump.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is considering a plan that would punish NATO members who did not contribute to the war to his liking.
That punishment, according to the report, would involve Trump moving U.S. troops away from bases in countries he is unhappy with and stationing them in member countries that assisted him in the war.
The U.S. has approximately 84,000 troops stationed across Europe, according to The WSJ’s report.
Though Trump hasn’t specified which nations he will target if he does retaliate against NATO members, there are some that are more likely candidates than others. Spain not only refused to agree to spend 5 percent of its GDP on defense but also refused to allow the U.S. to use its airspace for its attacks on Iran.
Italy briefly prohibited the U.S. from using one of its airbases in Sicily and France only allowed the U.S. to use one of its airbases after the U.S. promised it would only land planes there that weren’t en route to strike Iran.
An official speaking to The WSJ said that the countries that could benefit from the plan would include Poland, Lithuania, Greece, and Romania, as they backed Trump’s war. But if the U.S. did move more troops into those nations it would also serve as a de facto troop buildup near Russia’s western border — a move that would likely be ill received by Moscow.
On Wednesday, Rutte appeared on CNN following his meeting with Trump at the White House. The NATO secretary general was overflowing with praise for the president, even claiming that Trump’s leadership and his decision to go to war with Iran “absolutely” made the world a safer place.
When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Rutte if Trump mentioned pulling out of NATO during their meeting, the secretary general said the president shared his “disappointment” but wouldn’t confirm if Trump had made the threat.
Rutte agreed with Trump that “some” NATO allies failed to uphold their end of the alliance but insisted that the majority of countries in the organization uphold their responsibilities.
The secretary general told Tapper that he believed the world was safer after Trump’s war with Iran but dodged when he was asked if Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s entire civilization bothered him.
“Well, you know what I always say when it comes to what leaders are saying. I’m not commenting on everything. What I want you to know is that I support the president,” Rutte said.
Senior European officials have pushed back on Trump’s characterization of their involvement in the war, according to The WSJ.
Some contend that they were never consulted on the war, making it difficult for them to coordinate and contribute, even if they were willing to do so.
That was a point former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder made during an appearance on CBS News. He was discussing Trump’s frustration with NATO and argued that Trump could not treat sovereign nations like underlings.
“If you actually believe in allies and alliances, you talk to them. You don’t tell them that ‘I’ve decided to bomb. Here is where we are. And now it’s time for you to show up,’” Daalder said.
On CNN, Tapper asked Rutte if he believed that some European nations held the view that they were not obligated to assist the U.S. as NATO is primarily a defensive organization and Trump’s war was offensive.
“Yeah. But you cannot defend yourself without being lethal,” Rutte replied.
He also insisted that the majority of European countries do not hold the opinion that the Iran war was illegal.
“No, no, no, no, because NATO has always taken the position that degrading these capabilities of nuclear and ballistic missiles [in Iran] is crucial,” he said.
Trump’s disdain for NATO is not new. He has been critical of the alliance since his first term, when he accused allies of letting the U.S. foot the bill for the overall security of European member nations.
Since his return to office, Trump has slammed fellow NATO members with high tariffs, has insulted Canada and insinuated it would be better as America’s 51st state, and directly threatened to forcibly take over Greenland against the wishes of both Greenlanders and the Kingdom of Denmark.
The Independent has requested comment from the White House and NATO.
