US President Donald Trump has warned NATO member states that the United States may not assist them if requested, following what he described as a lack of support for a US military operation against Iran.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, the Republican president said the US had spent significant resources and expected allied support in return.
“We may say no,” Trump says
“We spent all that money. And then, when we maybe wanted help for something small (…) they said ‘no, we would prefer not to help’,” Trump said.
“That was foolish of them to say that, because we could say that too, and we may say it,” he added.
His comments come amid renewed debate over burden-sharing and collective defence commitments within the NATO alliance.
NATO summit ahead
Trump is scheduled to attend the next summit of the 32 NATO member states, which will take place in Turkey in July.
The remarks are likely to add further tension ahead of the high-level meeting, where defence spending and alliance cohesion are expected to be key topics.
Ongoing alliance debate
The US president has repeatedly criticised NATO allies over defence contributions and military cooperation, arguing that Washington bears a disproportionate share of the costs.
The latest comments follow reported disagreements over international responses to recent US military actions in the Middle East.
Also read: US suspends sanctions on Iranian oil until August 21
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