President Trump is reportedly weighing a plan to punish NATO allies that refused to assist the US in the war with Iran.
Under the proposed plan, the Trump administration would pull US troops out of NATO countries that were unhelpful with Operation Epic Fury, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Trump administration officials.
The plan is one of several being considered by the White House to punish members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to the outlet.
Trump has recently threatened to reassess US membership in NATO over the alliance’s lack of assistance with the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday night. “REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!! President DJT”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday amid the tension.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Some 84,000 US troops are stationed across Europe in US bases that boost local economies, serve as a hub for global US military operations and deter Russian aggression, according to the Journal.
The plan under consideration could see a US base shuttered in Spain or Germany, two administration officials said.
Spain closed its airspace to US warplanes involved in the Iran operation.
Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the Iran war as a “disastrous mistake” and accused the US of violating international law.
European nations that could benefit from additional US troops, which would be repositioned from the countries they’re pulled out of, include Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Greece, the officials said.
Those nations are viewed by the Trump administration has having been supportive of the war effort.
Romania, for example, allowed the US Air Force to use its bases for Iran missions.
Ahead of the Trump-Rutte meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the idea of the US withdrawing from the alliance has been talked about.
“It’s something the president has discussed, and I think it’s something that the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with the secretary-general,” Leavitt said.
She went on to share a statement from Trump on NATO: “They were tested, and they failed.”
Leavitt called it “quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense.”
A NATO spokesperson said Trump and Rutte “had a frank discussion on a range of issues related to our shared security, including in the context of Iran.”
“The Secretary General underscored the importance of Allies continuing to step up to deliver a stronger, fairer Alliance,” the spokesperson added.
