Trump says NATO allies had a ‘bad moment’ for not helping in potential Iran war
President Donald Trump, addressing leaders at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, faulted Spain, Italy and the U.K. for not immediately backing the United States in the event of a possible conflict with Iran. Trump called their response a “bad moment,” though he later struck a more conciliatory tone, praising what he described as “tremendous unification” within NATO and saying alliance members shared mutual love and respect.
Britain’s new defense secretary said Sunday that Europe may ultimately be grateful to President Donald Trump for jolting the continent out of complacency and pushing NATO allies to take greater responsibility for their own security.
In an interview on Sky News, Wes Streeting also pointed to a recalibration of the U.K. government’s approach to the transatlantic relationship under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, while making clear that Britain still would not support U.S. offensive military action against Iran.
“The first thing you do is you don’t suck up, and… my impression is President Trump, his administration… that’s not what they’re looking for, actually,” Streeting told Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips as he outlined his view of dealing with Washington.
“He’s a straight talker. He says what he means and means what he says.”
British Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting said Europe would one day thank President Donald Trump for shaking it out of strategic complacency and pressing NATO members to carry more of the burden for their own defense. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
“I don’t know him, but I do trust the United States,” Streeting added.
Streeting assumed control of the U.K. Ministry of Defence on July 20, the same day Burnham entered Downing Street as prime minister.
“I’ve not even been in the job a week. I’ve always been aware that the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. is unlike any in the world, and of course, that’s historic, it’s cultural, it’s political,” Streeting said. “It’s driven by self-interest as well as mutual shared interests.”
During his first week in office, Streeting also had a call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to discuss maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and broader NATO commitments.
“But just in my first week as defense secretary, I have had a unique insight into just how close and integral that relationship is when it comes to defense and security,” Streeting explained.
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Streeting said he was “very keen and pleased” to meet with his American counterpart, War Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“And it’s one of the reasons why I was very keen and pleased in the first week to meet with my U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, where I was clear that we’ve not supported offensive action in Iran, and we won’t support offensive action in Iran,” he continued. “But there are plenty of things that we can and should do together when it comes to securing the Strait of Hormuz, in making sure that Iran doesn’t develop nuclear weapons, in terms of investing in our capability and NATO’s capability.”
Trump has long criticized European NATO members for failing to spend enough on defense, arguing they should shoulder a greater share of the alliance’s security burden.
“And one of the things I’d say about President Trump specifically… we don’t always like what he says. We don’t always like his methods,” Streeting said. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)
At July’s NATO summit in Turkey, Trump pressed allies to follow through on their commitments to increase defense spending.
“And one of the things I’d say about President Trump specifically: we don’t always like what he says, we don’t always like his methods,” Streeting said. “But I genuinely think when this period of history is written, Europe will thank President Trump for shaking us out of our complacency and forcing us to stand on our own two feet and end the period of overreliance on the United States for defense because what he said about Europe isn’t unique to President Trump, the MAGA movement or the Republican Party.”
“This has been a longstanding grain of U.S. frustration with Europe under Democratic and Republican presidents, and in the world we live in, it is right that we can act to secure ourselves,” he added.
Streeting also said the U.K. could “act with our allies here in Europe and, of course, work with the United States without being overly dependent to the extent that NATO and Europe has been.”
INC News has reached out to 10 Downing Street for further comment.
