US President Donald Trump said he is considering withdrawing the US from NATO, amid increasing tensions with European allies over the Middle East conflict.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Trump said he would mention this issue in a national address on the evening of April 1 (US time) and affirmed that he "fully" considered the possibility of leaving the military alliance. He expressed dissatisfaction with NATO when European countries refused to send ships to participate in the operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO was established in 1949, including the United States, Canada and many European countries, with the goal of coping with the threat of attacks from the Soviet Union and becoming the foundation of Western security for decades.
Mr. Trump's statement was made just hours after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth did not reaffirm Washington's commitment to NATO's collective defense principle, the core element that stipulates that a member attacked will be protected by the entire alliance.
Many European countries quickly spoke out in response.
Representatives of the French government emphasized that NATO is an alliance protecting the Europe-Atlantic region, not aimed at conducting operations in the Strait of Hormuz. In Poland, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz called for calmness, saying that there would be no NATO without the US, but the US's strength is also linked to this alliance.
The German government reaffirmed its commitment to NATO, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would act for national interests, while emphasizing the need to strengthen defense and economic cooperation in Europe.
Tensions between the US and Europe have increased since the Iranian conflict broke out, along with disagreements on trade and other strategic issues. Some countries such as France, Italy and Spain have refused to provide direct support for US military operations related to Iran, including restricting the use of airspace or military bases.
These developments raise questions about the future of NATO and the level of engagement between the US and its allies in the context of increasingly complex international crises.
