LONDON – In a move that could significantly alter the landscape of international alliances, President Donald Trump has suggested a potential withdrawal of the United States from NATO. This consideration comes amid increasing tension between the U.S. and its European allies, further complicated by the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran.
Trump’s contemplation of leaving NATO isn’t entirely new, but his recent statements to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper mark a sharp escalation in rhetoric. The remarks, published on Wednesday, indicate a deepening rift that could challenge the foundational ties of the transatlantic alliance.
When asked if he might reevaluate the U.S.’s participation in NATO once the conflict with Iran concludes, Trump responded emphatically, suggesting the decision was “beyond reconsideration.”
Attempts to elicit a reaction from NATO were met with silence, as the organization did not issue an immediate response to Trump’s provocative remarks.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, when queried on the issue, reaffirmed the UK’s unwavering support for NATO, describing it as “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.” His comments highlight the importance that many European leaders continue to place on the alliance, even as they navigate the complexities of the ongoing war.
The conflict has put political pressure on European leaders, as public opposition grows and economic concerns mount, especially with Iran’s strategic closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This vital passageway, through which approximately 20% of global oil supply travels, has seen petroleum prices surge, adding another layer of tension to the already strained relations.
“Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I am going to act in the British national interest in all the decisions I make,” Starmer said Wednesday.
Long-simmering tensions within the alliance have bubbled up again over the war. As energy prices have spiked, Trump has been desperate to get countries to send their ships to the Strait. He’s called his NATO allies “cowards,” pulling at any rhetorical lever he can to get help with the fallout of a war that no ally was consulted on or asked to take part in.
For years, Trump has berated America’s European allies, urging them to assume greater responsibility for their own security and spend more on defense. He has argued that the U.S. has done more for them than the other way around.
A U.S. pullout would essentially spell the end of NATO, which flourished for decades under American leadership.
On Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at countries “like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran,” and suggested they buy U.S. oil or go to the Strait of Hormuz themselves “and just take it.”
He also wants allies to help fix damage from the war that they had no part in starting.
The U.K. is working on plans that could help assuage Trump.
On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host a virtual meeting of 35 countries that have signed up to help ensure security for shipping in the Strait after the war. Starmer said military planners will also work on a postwar security plan for the strait.
The backdrop: NATO not on board to join US in war
NATO is built on Article 5 of its founding treaty, which pledges that an attack on any one member will be met with a response from them all.
As the Iran war has spread, missiles and drones have been fired toward NATO member Turkey and a British military base on Cyprus, fueling speculation about what might prompt NATO to trigger its collective security guarantee and come to their rescue.
The alliance has not intervened or signaled any plan to. Secretary-General Mark Rutte — who has voiced support for Trump and America’s role in the alliance — has been focusing mostly on Russia’s war against Ukraine, which borders four NATO countries.
NATO operates uniquely by consensus. All 32 countries must agree for it to take decisions, so political priorities play a role. Even invoking Article 5 requires agreement among the allies. Turkey or the U.K. cannot trigger it alone.
In the Mideast war, Trump has bristled at the across-the-board rejection from European and other allies, and even rival China, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Many European Union and NATO member country leaders have fumed since the war’s outset on Feb. 28 because they weren’t informed ahead of time, seen as a break with precedent.
Trump insisted he needed the element of surprise, and he spoke out about possible military action and visibly built up U.S. forces in the region in the run-up to the war.
Rising voices, and tougher action, from Europe over the Mideast war
European leaders have called for the war to stop and want the United States and Iran to return to negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, which America and Israel see as a threat.
The vocal opposition in Europe to Trump’s war against Iran has started to turn into action.
Spain — the most vocal critic in Europe — on Monday said it closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war.
Early last month, France agreed to let the U.S. Air Force use a base in southern France after receiving a “full guarantee” from the United States that planes not involved in carrying out strikes against Iran would land there.
Other countries have spoken out against it: Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s largely ceremonial president, last week called the aggression against Iran a “dangerous mistake” in violation of international law.
U.S. relations with Europe had already soured in recent months over Trump’s call for Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of stalwart NATO ally Denmark — to become part of the United States, prompting many EU countries to rally behind Copenhagen.
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Keaten reported from Geneva. Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
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