Donald Trump threatens to withdraw the United States from NATO and states that it is a possibility he is seriously considering. The US President affirms that the Alliance is a "paper tiger," meaning an organization that appears strong but is actually weak. He adds that Vladimir Putin also knows this, in what seems like a way to threaten the NATO organization itself, and that the decision is "beyond reconsideration." In other words, he is trying to imply that he may have already made the decision.
"I would say it is beyond reconsideration. I was never convinced by NATO. I always knew it was a paper tiger, and Putin knows it too, by the way," the tycoon states in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
Trump's harsh words come after last night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also criticized the Alliance strongly. "NATO was not only created to defend Europe but also to allow us to have military bases in Europe for our national security. If we have reached a point where the NATO alliance implies that we cannot use those bases to defend our interests, then it is a one-way street," he stated, referring to Spain, Italy, or Poland restricting or outright banning the use of US forward positions on their territory.
And just in case there was any doubt, he emphasized in an interview with Fox News: "Why are we in NATO? That question needs to be asked. Why are we sending billions of dollars and have all these US forces deployed in the region, if we will not be allowed to use those bases in our time of need?".
This is exactly the situation that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has tried to avoid at all times. Showing behavior and complacency that many have pointed out as excessive, always highlighting the significant role of the US President in increasing spending and almost applauding the leaking of private messages by the tycoon.
In Brussels, many still remember "daddy" Trump with which the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands praised the tycoon in a message exchange last summer before the summit in The Hague. And also, last week, after the US President's criticism of NATO allies for not intervening in the Iran war, Rutte avoided defending the other countries and once again praised the tycoon.
Now the situation is truly complicated, with the Alliance appearing increasingly weakened and facing a real threat from Russia. NATO has not yet issued any reaction or comment on Trump's words.