Trump says he’s considering pulling out of ‘paper tiger’ NATO
President Trump said in an interview published Wednesday that he was considering withdrawing from NATO because the alliance refused to help the United States open the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked, causing gas prices to skyrocket.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph, Mr Trump was asked whether he would withdraw the United States from the defensive alliance after the end of the Iran conflict.
“Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration,” Mr. Trump responded.
“I was never influenced by NATO. I always knew it was a paper tiger,” Mr. Trump said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin shares a similar view of NATO.
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Mr. Trump’s remarks come hours before he delivers a prime-time address to the nation with an announcement about the war in Iran.
Mr. Trump said he viewed NATO’s reluctance to help Iran as a betrayal of the United States because it helped Ukraine during its four-year war with Russia. He told the Telegraph he hoped NATO would help the United States in Iran.
SEE ALSO: Trump predicts end of Iran war in 2-3 weeks, will address nation
“Besides not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t make a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey, you know,’ I didn’t push it too hard. I just think it should be automatic,” he said.
“We went there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine was not our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we always would have been there for them. They weren’t there for us,” Mr. Trump added.
The United States has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949, with the primary goal of countering Russian aggression. The cornerstone of the alliance is Article 5 of its treaty, which requires all members to respond to an attack on any of its members.
Article 5 has only been invoked once – by the United States following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 – resulting in the largest mobilization of allied forces since World War II.
Mr. Trump is not the only member of his administration to suggest that the United States would abandon NATO and its obligations as a member. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to NATO’s collective defense.
Asked by Reuters whether the United States was still committed to NATO’s collective defense, Hegseth said that was a decision that would be left to the president, but that “a lot has been laid bare.”
SEE ALSO: Iran stresses US won’t access Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran aims to make money from waterway
Mr. Trump has lashed out at NATO in recent weeks, angered by its refusal to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea passage for oil and gas controlled by Iran. He is also angered by the refusal of NATO countries to let the United States use their military bases to launch attacks against Iran.
European leaders have said any attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would put their ships and troops at risk as Iran continues to attack oil tankers in the strait that they view as coming from hostile countries.
They also see the war in Iran as one of Mr. Trump’s choices and have expressed frustration at being consulted before the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on the Middle Eastern country.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump warned the United Kingdom and France, two NATO allies, that the United States “will no longer be there to help you.”
In a series of Truth Social posts, the president criticized France for refusing to let U.S. planes bound for Israel load military equipment and fly over French airspace.
“France was VERY USELESS towards the “butcher of Iran”, who was successfully eliminated! The USA will remember that!!!” » posted Mr. Trump.
The president then turned his anger towards the UK, saying America had done the hard work, that it now needed to “take some courage to delay” and take control of the Strait of Hormuz.
“All those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the UK, which refused to get involved in decapitating Iran. I have a suggestion for you: number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty and number 2, muster up some courage, go to the strait and take it,” he posted.
“You will have to start learning to fight for yourself, the United States will no longer be there to help you, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hardest part is done. Go get your own oil,” he added.
