Trump: I am seriously considering withdrawing America from NATO
Trump: I am seriously considering withdrawing America from NATO
2026-04-01 02:10
Shafaq News – Washington
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is “seriously” considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after the alliance refused to participate in a war against Iran, describing NATO as a “paper tiger”.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph, Trump added that withdrawing the United States from the defense treaty was “beyond a mere reconsideration,” noting that he “was never convinced by NATO,” and that the allies did not send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He continued: “I would say that it’s beyond reconsideration. I was never convinced by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too,” adding that NATO allies “were not there” despite his expectation that their support would be “automatic.”
He pointed out that the closure of the strait for weeks led to a rise in global oil and gas prices and a threat of recession, given that about 20% of the world’s oil passes through it, considering that the lack of support from allies constituted a test of the defense relationship with Europe.
Trump specifically criticized Britain, directing criticism at Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to engage in the American-Israeli war against Iran, saying the Royal Navy was “not ready for the mission,” adding: “You don’t even have a navy… You have aircraft carriers that haven’t been used.”
He also pointed out that Starmer is focused on “expensive wind turbines that drive up energy prices,” rejecting the imposition of defense policies on London.
In this context, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused NATO of being a “one-way street,” criticizing allies for not allowing the use of their military bases, and said that Washington would have to “re-examine” its membership in the alliance after the end of the war in Iran.
Rubio added that continuing the current arrangement is “difficult to maintain” if the United States is defending Europe, while allies refuse to grant it the right to use the bases when needed, while Trump expressed his “delight” at these statements.
The newspaper reported that Trump is considering restructuring NATO to punish members who do not meet his funding demands, in addition to introducing a “pay-for-participation” model, and is also considering withdrawing US troops from Germany.
Trump’s request for NATO to participate in the war against Iran has raised questions about Article 5 of the alliance, which states that “an attack on one member is an attack on all,” an article that does not apply to the war in Iran that began with US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.
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