FLASH
Shkruar nga PamfletiSitting across from Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump reiterated his disappointment that members of the NATO alliance did not join the war effort.
US President Donald Trump sharply criticized NATO allies during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, expressing "disappointment" with the position of European countries regarding the war against Iran. Trump made harsh statements against several member states, while Mark Rutte defended the role of the Alliance and the contribution of European bases to the operations. During the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Donald Trump stated that he was "disappointed" with members of the transatlantic Alliance who did not support American operations against Iran.
As he said, "if it were anyone else in this position, we wouldn't even be having this meeting, to be honest with you, because they let us down," while simultaneously directing his fire at Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
He argued that Washington did not need help, saying: "We were disappointed. We did not need any help with this. We literally destroyed (Iran) in the first week, but it would have been nice if they had said, 'We would like to help.'"
Rutte's response and NATO's defense
For his part, Mark Rutte defended the position of the Alliance's member states, noting that during the operations there was a significant contribution from European bases.
As he stated, there were "4-5,000 American planes taking off from bases in Europe," arguing in favor of active Allied participation.
After the meeting, the NATO secretary general said that Trump remains "fully committed to the Alliance" and asserted that the US would "defend" Europe "absolutely" in the event of an attack.
The public confrontation comes just weeks before the summit of the 32 NATO member states, which is scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara.
Relations between Washington and its European allies remain tense, with Trump repeatedly calling on Europe to take more responsibility for its conventional defense, as the United States shifts its strategic weight toward China.
In this context, the Pentagon has already informed allies that it is reducing the presence of US military assets available for NATO operations around the world.
This development has raised concerns in European capitals about a possible weakening of deterrence against Russia, as some countries continue to depend on the United States for critical weapons systems and operational support.
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