US president signals deepening rift with allies, questioning the alliance’s reliability and hinting Washington could reconsider its membership despite legal and political hurdles.
US President Donald Trump held talks on Wednesday with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, during which he raised the possibility of the United States withdrawing from the alliance, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt said the president had been looking forward to a “very frank and honest conversation” with Rutte. Following the meeting, Trump expressed doubt that the alliance would come to Washington’s aid in a future crisis, reinforcing his long-standing scepticism about NATO’s effectiveness.
Last week, Trump said he was seriously considering pulling the US out of NATO, arguing that member states had failed to support Washington during tensions involving Iran. He described the lack of backing from allies as “difficult to believe.” US secretary of state Marco Rubio has also suggested that Washington should reassess NATO’s value once the conflict in the Middle East subsides.
Trump has repeatedly branded NATO a “paper tiger,” questioning its usefulness in times of crisis. He has also linked strains in relations with the alliance to disputes over Greenland, stating that US ambitions regarding the territory had been rebuffed by allies.
Threats of a potential US withdrawal have, however, had a consolidating effect on European member states. The Trump administration had not formally notified Congress of any intention to leave NATO, nor initiated internal alliance discussions or issued concrete directives regarding Washington’s future role.
Under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, Congress approved legislation barring any US president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO. Rubio was among the co-sponsors of the measure. Nonetheless, experts have suggested Trump could attempt to circumvent the restriction by invoking presidential authority over foreign policy.
