Trump: Seriously considering retiring, never convinced

US President Donald Trump has said he is seriously considering withdrawing from the NATO alliance. In an interview with the British Telegraph published this morning (Wednesday), Trump called the alliance a “paper tiger” and said that the examination of continued membership in it is now “beyond reconsideration”.

The president’s words come against the backdrop of growing frustration in the White House over the refusal of the European members of the alliance to join the war against Iran and help open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. About 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz. “I was never convinced by NATO,” Trump said in an interview. “I always knew they were a paper tiger, Putin knows that too.”

Trump sharply criticized the USA’s historical partners and claimed that it was a “one-way street”. He referred in his words to the US’s allies who did not allow it access to their military bases. “Apart from the fact that they weren’t there, it was hard to believe. And I didn’t make a big deal out of it. I didn’t insist too much.”

According to him, “I think it should be automatic. We were there automatically, including for Ukraine. Ukraine was not our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, we were always there for them. They weren’t there for us.”

The president personally attacked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and claimed that the Royal Navy was not up to the task. “You don’t even have a fleet,” he said. “You are too old and you had aircraft carriers that didn’t work.”

When asked if Starmer should invest more money in the security sector, the president replied: “I’m not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is expensive wind turbines that send your energy prices sky high.”

The Telegraph noted that hours before the interview, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that the US would have to “re-examine” its membership in NATO when the war with Iran ends. “I think there’s no question, unfortunately, that after this war, we’re going to have to reexamine that relationship,” Rubio said.

“If NATO is only concerned with defending Europe if they are attacked, but they deny us rights to put up bases when we need them, that is not a very good arrangement. It’s hard to stay involved in something like that,” Rubio added. Trump told the Telegraph he was “glad” Rubio said those things.

British Prime Minister Starmer responded to Trump’s criticism and threat. “The NATO alliance is the most effective security alliance the world has seen,” Starmer said. “No matter what the pressure is on me, Britain will not be dragged into the war.”

France’s deputy defense minister also responded to Trump’s words and said that NATO is a military alliance designed to ensure security in the Euro-Atlantic area. “It is not designed to carry out operations in the Strait of Hormuz that are contrary to international law,” she slammed the president.

The German government also responded to Trump: “This is not the first time he has done this, and since this is a recurring phenomenon, you can draw your own conclusions.” He added in a press briefing: “It is not my job to comment on the words of the President of the United States. Germany is, of course, committed to NATO.”

For the time being, President Trump estimates that the war with Iran may end within two or three weeks, with the stated goal being to prevent nuclear weapons from Tehran. Trump is expected to address the nation tonight and provide an update on the progress of the fighting.

Last week, it was reported that Trump was considering a shakeup at NATO aimed at punishing companies that failed to meet his funding requirements. Senior administration officials are exploring a “pay-as-you-go” model within NATO that could block allies from making decisions, including on whether to go to war. At the same time, sources close to the president said he was also considering withdrawing American forces from Germany.