Trump says he’s considering pulling out of ‘paper tiger’ NATO

Mr. Trump’s remarks come hours before he is scheduled to deliver a prime-time address to the nation with an announcement on the Iran war.

Mr. Trump said he views NATO’s reluctance to assist in Iran as a betrayal of the U.S. because it helped Ukraine during its four-year war with Russia. He told The Telegraph that he expected NATO to assist the U.S. in Iran.

“Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey, you know,’ I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic,” he said.

“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us,” Mr. Trump added.

The U.S. has been a NATO member since its formation in 1949, with the primary aim of countering Russian aggression. The cornerstone of the alliance is Article 5 of its treaty, which requires all members to respond to an attack on one of its members.

Article 5 has been invoked only once — by the U.S. in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks — resulting in the largest mobilization of allied forces since World War II.

Mr. Trump isn’t the only member of his administration suggesting that the U.S. would abandon NATO and its obligations as a member. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO’s collective defense.

When asked by Reuters if the U.S. was still committed to NATO’s collective defense, Mr. Hegseth said it’s a decision that would be left to the president, but “a lot has been laid bare.”

Mr. Trump has lashed out at NATO in recent weeks, angered by its refusal to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas maritime passage controlled by Iran. He’s also been angered by NATO countries’ refusal to let the U.S. use their military bases to launch attacks against Iran.

European leaders have said that any efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would put their ships and troops in danger because Iran continues to attack tankers in the strait that they’ve deemed to be from unfriendly nations.

They also view the Iran war as one of Mr. Trump’s choosing and vented frustration that they were consulted on before the U.S. and Israel launched joint attacks against the Middle East nation.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump warned the United Kingdom and France, two NATO allies, that the U.S. “won’t be there to help you anymore.”

In a series of Truth Social posts, the president criticized France for refusing to let U.S. planes headed to Israel load up with military supplies and fly over French airspace.

“France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!” Mr. Trump posted.

The president then turned his ire toward the United Kingdom, saying America had done the hard work, now it needs to “build up some delay courage” and take control of the Strait of Hormuz.

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran. I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just take it,” he posted.