United States President Donald Trump is allegedly considering withdrawing from NATO, the transatlantic alliance that has been a central pillar of Western security for decades. At a news briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the US and Israeli war against Iran as a “test” that the alliance had failed. Despite Trump’s pressure, NATO allies had declined to contribute military forces to the war, outside of defensive manoeuvres.
Leavitt stated, “I have a direct quote from the President of the United States on NATO, and I will share it with all of you. They were tested and they failed.” She added, “I would add, it’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense.” Leavitt noted that Trump was preparing to have “a very frank and candid conversation” with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that afternoon.
The US president has had a mixed relationship with NATO, sometimes threatening to pull US support and, at other times, reassuring allies of the US’s continued commitment to the alliance. Since returning to the presidency in 2025, Trump has renewed his pressure campaign for NATO’s European partners to step up their defence spending. At the 2025 NATO summit in June, he largely succeeded, with NATO members agreeing to a nonbinding commitment to increase their defence budgets to 5 percent of their GDP by 2035.
However, Spain sought an exemption, leading Trump to denounce the country repeatedly over the past year. Tensions between the US and its European allies were further strained last year when Trump allegedly threatened to use military force to seize the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland, claiming that its ownership was essential for national security. The US has eased away from those threats, but Trump has continued to assert that US ownership of Greenland is necessary, despite strong protests from residents and European leaders. After the US and Israel unilaterally launched a war against Iran on February 28, Trump lashed out at European countries for their lack of interest in contributing to the campaign, which many legal scholars consider an act of aggression in violation of international law.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration is considering whether to close US bases or move troops out of countries such as Spain and Germany as punishment for their stance on the war. When asked by reporters if Trump was considering leaving NATO, Leavitt said that it was something the president “has discussed” and could address after his meeting with Rutte, who has previously warned that NATO “will not work” without US support. This development highlights the deepening fissures within the alliance and raises questions about its future cohesion under the current US regime.
Source: www.aljazeera.com