President Donald Trump has suggested he is seriously considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” and questioning the reliability of European partners in defence matters.
These comments, made during an interview with the Telegraph, followed NATO members’ refusal to meet his demands for naval deployments in the Strait of Hormuz, which is part of the U.S. strategy against Iran.
Trump indicated that Russia is likely aware of what he sees as weaknesses within the Western military alliance.
Trump was asked if he would quit NATO, and he said, “Oh yes, I would say it’s beyond reconsideration.
“I was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.
He specifically criticised the United Kingdom, rebuking Prime Minister Keir Starmer for keeping Britain out of the American-Israeli military operation.
Slamming Starmer further, Trump rightly said: “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work.”
When asked whether Starmer should increase defence spending, Trump dismissed the idea, stating, “I’m not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants are costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the administration’s frustrations, describing NATO as a “one-way street” during a Fox News appearance. He criticised allied nations for denying American forces access to military bases, warning that Washington may need to reassess its commitment once current conflicts conclude.
“If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but they deny us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. That’s a hard one to stay engaged in,” he said.
“I think there’s no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to re-examine that relationship”.
Trump expressed his support for Rubio’s comments, and senior administration officials are reportedly exploring a “pay-to-play” model for NATO that could exclude non-compliant members from key decision-making processes. Analysts warn that such a move could fundamentally reshape the alliance and complicate transatlantic cooperation.
These remarks represent the most direct challenge to NATO’s relevance by a sitting U.S. president in years, raising concerns about the alliance’s cohesion at a critical time amid tensions in the Middle East and ongoing Russian military activity.
European leaders may face renewed pressure to justify their contributions to NATO and address Washington’s calls for increased burden-sharing. Analysts caution that the credibility of the transatlantic alliance could be jeopardised if the U.S. follows through on its threats to withdraw.
