Trump says he is ‘absolutely’ considering withdrawing US from Nato

President Trump stated he is "absolutely" considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO due to allies' refusal to join the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, escalating concerns about the alliance's future. Trump's threat, made in interviews with Reuters and the Telegraph, marks a significant crisis for the 77-year-old organization. The U.S. launched the war on Iran in partnership with Israel on February 28th without consulting NATO or invoking Article 5. The conflict has not achieved its goals, and Iran's response has triggered economic instability. While formally withdrawing from NATO could be difficult, a former US ambassador warns that the damage to the alliance's trust is already severe.

In a recent interview, Donald Trump again questioned the US commitment to NATO, stating that he is considering it "beyond reconsideration" due to allies not joining US military operations. He misunderstands how the 32-member alliance works, particularly regarding Article 5, which requires consensus for collective defense. Trump has a history of criticizing NATO, calling it obsolete and a financial burden, and has previously threatened to withdraw the US. NATO, while providing assistance to Ukraine, has avoided direct involvement in the conflict with Russia. Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Trump almost withdrew the US from NATO in 2019.