In an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph published on Wednesday, April 1, the American president asserts that he is “doing much more than reconsidering” the United States’ membership in the transatlantic alliance.
Irritated by the lack of enthusiasm from his allies to support the American war effort in the Middle East, Donald Trump brandishes the threat of a complete withdrawal of the United States from NATO at the end of the conflict.
In an interview with The Telegraph published on Wednesday, April 1, the American president stated that he was doing “much more than reconsidering” the United States’ membership in the transatlantic alliance, which is nearly 80 years old.
“I have never been influenced by NATO,” said Donald Trump. “I have always known it was a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too.”
The American president, who hinted at an end to the war in the Middle East within “two, three weeks” since its start on February 28 by Washington and Israel, resents the fact that his allies were not very willing to help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of this strategic chokepoint, through which 20% of the world’s oil normally passes, has led to a significant increase in oil prices.
“They were not there for us”
Donald Trump, however, expected the assistance of NATO allies to be “automatic.” “We have always been automatically, including for Ukraine,” he emphasized to The Telegraph. Ukraine, not a NATO member, “was not our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we always would have been. They were not there for us.”
Following these new criticisms from Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended NATO in a press conference as “the most effective military alliance the world has ever known.” NATO “has ensured our security for several decades, and we are fully committed” to this alliance, added the Labour leader.
Keir Starmer also announced that the UK will host a meeting of 35 countries this week to mobilize efforts to restore and secure maritime transport in the Strait of Hormuz, the British Prime Minister announced on Wednesday.
