President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold US military assistance from NATO member states as payback for their refusal to support American military operations against Iran, even as he prepares to attend the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey next month.
Donald Trump just put NATO on notice — again. Speaking at an Oval Office press conference on Monday, the US President threatened to pull back American military support from alliance members who turned their backs on the US during its military operations against Iran, warning the snub could have consequences.
“We spent all of this money. And then when we want to maybe have help on small stuff… They say no we would rather not help,” Trump said. “Stupid thing to say, because we can say that to them if we want, and we might.”
As reported by Vanguard, the remarks are the latest salvo in a deepening row between Washington and its European partners over their refusal to join America’s war effort against Tehran. Several NATO members, including Britain, France, Germany and Spain, refused to support US military operations against Iran, citing the alliance’s defensive mandate.
Britain, for one, denied airspace access for US military planes and flatly rejected joining the Strait of Hormuz blockade — with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer bluntly telling the BBC: “We’re not getting dragged into the war.”
Trump has criticised NATO allies for their reluctance to join the Iran war and questioned the alliance’s value to the United States, with US officials reportedly considering ways to punish some European allies.
Despite all the tension, Trump is set to attend the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7 and 8, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming: “The United States is still in the NATO alliance and we’ll be there in Turkey to talk about all these topics.”
In other words — expect fireworks in Ankara.
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