Trump-Rutte meeting. The US president is considering the US leaving NATO

The United States' exit from NATO is something that US President Donald Trump is discussing and will discuss with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.

Leavitt responded this way to the question whether Trump is still considering taking the US out of the North Atlantic Alliance.

“It's something the president is having discussions about, and I think he will be talking about it with Secretary-General Mark Rutte this afternoon,” a spokeswoman said at a White House press briefing. She did not rule out that Trump would comment on this subject after the meeting.

During the briefing, Leavitt also quoted Trump's message on NATO. – They were tested and they failed. And I would add that it is quite sad that NATO has turned its back on the Americans in the last six weeks, while the Americans were financing their defense – said the message, which was a response to the declaration of NATO countries that they are ready to help in the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The meeting with Rutt is scheduled to take place at 21.30 Polish time. It will take place after a series of very critical statements by Trump about the Alliance, including open consideration of the US leaving, which Trump justified by the attitude of some countries towards the war with Iran. The US president especially criticized Great Britain and Spain for initially refusing to use bases in these countries by American forces, as well as for refusing to send ships to unblock the strait. On Monday, Trump emphasized that although he likes Rutte and he is a “great person”, he was disappointed in the Alliance.

– If you want to know the truth, it all started in Greenland. We want Greenland. They don't want to give it to us. And I said, 'Bye,'” Trump said at the end of Monday's press conference.

Greenland, which is an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, became the subject of a sharp diplomatic dispute in January between the United States, whose president declared his intention to take over the island, and Denmark and several supporting NATO countries. Trump later announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he would not use military force to take control of the island and waived additional tariffs on goods from eight European countries that sent military delegations to Greenland.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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