Donald Trump hinted that he may consider leading the U.S. to withdraw from the NATO alliance after the war with Iran ends, pointing out he has always known the organization to be merely a "paper tiger." Tags: [Donald Trump, NATO, U.S. foreign policy, Iran conflict]
Foreign news agencies reported on 1 Apr 2026 GMT+7 that President Donald Trump gave an interview to a British newspaper in which he hinted at considering the withdrawal of the U.S. from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after repeatedly criticizing the alliance for member countries' lack of support during the Iran war. Tags: [Donald Trump, NATO, Iran war, international relations]
The Telegraph, a right-wing British media outlet, asked Trump whether he would reconsider the U.S. membership in NATO after the war ends. Trump replied, “Oh, absolutely. I’d say it’s more than a reconsideration... I’ve never wavered about NATO. I always knew they were just a paper tiger, and Putin knows that well too.” Tags: [Donald Trump, NATO, interview, Putin, international politics]
NATO members, a defensive military alliance, have been hesitant to send troops to reopen shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil transport route that Iran ordered closed in retaliation against U.S. and Israeli attacks. Tags: [NATO, military alliance, Strait of Hormuz, Iran, oil transport]
This marks the latest instance of Trump attacking NATO and its allies. Just last Tuesday, he urged countries suffering from jet fuel shortages due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade to “gather the courage, it’s too late now, and move on to that strait and just go take it.” Tags: [Donald Trump, NATO criticism, fuel shortages, Strait of Hormuz]
“You all need to start learning how to fight on your own. The U.S. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you haven’t been there for us,” the president wrote on Truth Social last Tuesday. Tags: [Donald Trump, U.S. foreign policy, military support, Truth Social]
Trump has repeatedly questioned whether NATO allies will assist when the U.S. needs them, alleging without evidence in January that NATO forces “retreated to the rear lines” in the Afghanistan battlefield. Tags: [Donald Trump, NATO, Afghanistan, military allegations]
“More than not helping, it’s really unbelievable, and I’m not trying too hard to persuade anyone. I just say ‘Hey,’ you know, I’m not pushy. I just think it should be automatic,” Trump told The Telegraph. Tags: [Donald Trump, NATO, military support, interview]
“We always automatically help others, including Ukraine,” he said. “Ukraine isn’t our problem, but it’s a test, and we’re there for them. We’re always ready to be there for them, but they’re not there for us.” Tags: [Donald Trump, Ukraine, NATO, military aid]
Although the U.S. has provided some military intelligence to Ukraine and allowed Europe to purchase American weapons on Ukraine’s behalf, the U.S. government has not approved any new military or financial aid packages for Ukraine since President Joe Biden’s term ended. Tags: [United States, Ukraine, military aid, Biden administration]
Trump also specifically targeted the United Kingdom, mocking its fleet in the Telegraph interview: “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old, and you have an aircraft carrier that doesn’t work.” Tags: [Donald Trump, United Kingdom, military criticism, navy]
“I’m not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. The only thing Starmer (the British Prime Minister) wants is those expensive wind turbines that are making your energy prices skyrocket,” Trump added, referring to clean energy projects. Tags: [Donald Trump, Keir Starmer, UK energy policy, wind turbines]
When asked about Trump’s recent remarks, Sir Keir Starmer reaffirmed that NATO remains “the most effective military alliance the world has ever seen,” and confirmed that the UK will definitely not be “dragged into” a war with Iran. Tags: [Keir Starmer, NATO, UK foreign policy, Iran conflict]
Follow international news: Tags: [international news, updates]https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign Tags: [news website, Thairath]
Source: Tags: []cnn Tags: [CNN, news source]