Donald Trump attacked NATO again for not supporting the US in the Iran war, following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, writes the BBC.
In a post shared on Truth Social after the meeting, the US president said: “NATO WASN'T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM AND WILL NOT BE THERE WHEN WE NEED THEM AGAIN.”
Meanwhile, Rutte described his meeting with Trump to CNN as “very honest” and “very open” despite some obvious disagreements.
Ahead of the talks, Trump broached the idea of leaving the transatlantic military alliance after several NATO countries opposed his calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ease rising global oil prices.
The White House did not disclose details of the discussion.
The secretary general was at the White House for more than two hours on Wednesday, although it is not known how long the meeting with Trump lasted.
Analysts expected Rutte to convince Trump that it was in his and America's best interest to remain in the NATO alliance.
What is clear, however, is that Trump still has deep doubts about the alliance and the member countries that he believes did not help the US enough before and during Operation Epic Fury.
In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to withdraw from the 32-member transatlantic alliance.
Asked about NATO's role in the ongoing conflict with Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday, in a direct quote from the president, that NATO had been “tested and failed.”
Leavitt said NATO countries have “turned their backs on the American people,” who fund their nations' defense, and that Trump will have a “very frank conversation” with the NATO chief.
Meanwhile, a big part of Rutte's message to Trump seems to be that many European countries have not stood in his way.
The secretary general told CNN that he emphasized that “the vast majority of European nations have been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights.”
“So it's a nuanced picture,” Rutte said.
It remains to be seen whether this aspect – and the Secretary General's warm relationship with Trump – is enough for the US president.
Asked if the world is safer now than it was before the war, Rutte replied “absolutely” and attributed this to Trump's “leadership” in diminishing Iran's nuclear threats.
He added that NATO members do not consider the Iran war to be illegal and most agreed that it is important to curtail Iran's nuclear capabilities.
In late 2023, the US Congress voted to prohibit any US president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without the approval of a two-thirds majority of the Senate or an act of Congress.
The relationship between the administration and the NATO alliance was already strained before the war with Iran, largely due to disagreements over Trump's plans for Greenland.
The conflict in Iran, however, has taken Trump's grievances with NATO to new heights and created what is perhaps the biggest challenge the alliance has faced in its history.
