‘Ridiculous’ that US maintains support for NATO – Trump

(Photo: Kent Nishimura/AFP)

Pres. Donald Trump of the USA says it is “ridiculous” that the country continues to maintain its “one-sided” relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), less than a week before a NATO summit in Ankara.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform “they weren’t there for us” and argued that Washington’s relationship with NATO was “not mutual”.

Trump criticized the US’s European allies for their response to the war in Iran, after several countries restricted the use of bases for US forces.

Trump also insists that Europe should take the lead in its own defense. So Washington has already started to scale back its commitments.

The US president’s Truth Social post on Thursday included a chart showing NATO spending, with the US spending significantly more than several other member states indicated.

(Photo: Andrew Leyeden/Nurphoto/Afp)

Under pressure from Trump, NATO leaders agreed at a meeting last year to increase defense-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

The upcoming NATO summit, in which 32 member states will participate, will be held on July 7 and 8 in the Turkish capital.

Founded in 1949, the alliance has evolved into a US-led defense force and is credited with helping to maintain stability in Europe, countering the Soviet Union and strengthening the US’s position as a world power over decades.