WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he was “strongly considering” pulling the United States out of NATO after European allies failed to back Washington’s military action against Iran.
In an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph, Trump described NATO as a “paper tiger” and said removing the United States from the defence pact was now “beyond reconsideration”.
He said he had long held doubts about the military alliance’s credibility and claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was aware of its weaknesses, the newspaper reported.
The comments come as tensions rise following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
NATO allies, including Britain, France, Spain and Germany, have declined to join the Iran war or provide key logistical support such as airspace access and use of military bases.
The allies have also rebuffed calls from Trump for them to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy waterway that Tehran has effectively blocked in retaliation for the US and Israeli attacks.
“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way,” Trump told The Telegraph, adding that Britain “doesn’t even have a navy”.
“You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” he said.
‘Finish line’ of Iran war within sight
Trump’s remarks were published hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington may need to reconsider its relationship with NATO once the war against Iran is over.
Rubio said the “finish line” of the Iran war was within sight.
“We can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming,” he said in an interview on Fox News.
Rubio also complained about the perceived lack of support from NATO allies that have resisted becoming directly involved in the Iran war.
Spain, for example, has refused to let the US use its airspace or jointly operate military bases for the Iran conflict.
Rubio said that once the Iran war ends, the US will have to assess whether the US-led military alliance formed after World War II is still serving the country’s interests, “or has it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they’re going to deny us basing rights, and they’re going to deny us overflight?”
Under a 2023 law passed under former President Joe Biden, a withdrawal would require backing from two-thirds of the Senate or an Act of Congress.
Trump slams UK PM Starmer
Trump also slammed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer again for Britain’s refusal to back America in its war with Iran, and belittled the UK’s military.
“You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” he scoffed about Britain’s fleet of warships.
On Tuesday, the US President singled out Britain and France for a scathing dressing down over their reluctance to get involved in the Iran war.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the US “won’t be there to help you any more, just like you weren’t there for us” and told allies they would have to “get your own oil”, following a report that the president has told aides he would be willing to end the war without the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is putting massive pressure on Trump’s allies in Europe, who have come under fire from the Trump administration for not joining the US-Israel strikes on Iran.
‘Automatic’ response
The US President told The Telegraph that he thought an allied response should be “automatic”. He said Washington had been there “automatically” in trying to mediate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
“Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.”
NATO’s collective defence clause holds that an attack on one member should be treated as an attack on all, necessitating a response of some kind from all members.
The Article 5 clause has only been invoked once, in response to the 9/11 attacks, which saw NATO members rally in aid of the US.
The comments come just weeks after Trump threatened to annex Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark. The US President has repeatedly criticised NATO countries over low defence spending.
UK PM Starmer says ‘not our war’
Meanwhile, after Trump’s comments, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is “fully committed to NATO”.
“We are fully committed to NATO,” Starmer told reporters on Wednesday. “NATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.”
“It’s in our interests to have a strong relationship with the US and with Europe,” he said.
Starmer said that the UK needs a “stronger relationship with Europe” in areas including defence, security, energy, emissions and the economy.
“I actually think that will help strengthen our relationship with the US,” the UK Premier added.
Starmer said the United Kingdom will not be drawn into the Iran war, stressing that the situation “is not our war”.
Starmer said Britain would act strictly in its national interest, despite external pressure.
“Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I’m going to act in the British national interest in the decisions that I make,” he told reporters.
“This is not our war, and we will not be dragged into it,” he added, underlining that the government has no intention of taking part in the conflict directly.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that other countries needed to “be prepared to stand up” and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, echoing criticism from Trump, who has singled out NATO members Britain and France.
