WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump met with NATO leader Mark Rutte to discuss a very serious matter: the potential US pullout from NATO.
According to the White House, Trump was upset that NATO nations did not back the United States in its recent conflict with Iran. The White House was the venue for the secret meeting.
NATO “turned their backs on the American people” throughout the six-week fight, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters. She said it was “quite sad” that NATO nations would not assist the United States when it needed them, given that the United States had been funding their defense for many years.
Leavitt responded in the affirmative when asked if Trump would discuss leaving NATO, saying that the president had previously talked about it and intended to discuss it with Rutte.
The conference took place just one day after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week truce, which is a brief halt to hostilities as both parties work toward a peace agreement.
Trump is furious at his allies in the West. He referred to NATO as a “paper tiger” because during the Iran War, the alliance declined to assist in opening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route. He added that NATO nations prevented US forces from utilizing their military installations.
Trump went so far as to call out specific leaders. He ridiculed Britain’s aircraft ships, calling them “toys,” and declared that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “no Winston Churchill.”
Moving US soldiers from nations deemed unhelpful to those who backed the US during the Iran War is one strategy under discussion. But the US Congress would need to approve a complete withdrawal from NATO.
The previous Dutch leader, Rutte, is renowned for his capacity to reassure Trump and win him back. Rutte even referred to Trump as “daddy” during a NATO meeting last year, demonstrating how far he will go to maintain the US’s membership in the alliance.
Rutte also had a discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio before to his meeting with Trump. They discussed the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Iran, and ways for NATO nations to bear more of the burden of defense.
During his journey to Washington, Rutte was also supposed to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. These negotiations could determine NATO’s destiny as an alliance.
