U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States does not “have to be there for NATO,” comments that again raised questions about his commitment to the mutual defense provisions at the center of the transatlantic alliance.
Speaking to an investment forum in Miami on Friday night, Trump said he was upset that European NATO countries had declined to provide material support to the U.S. as it nears the fourth week of its ongoing war on Iran.
European allies were not consulted by the U.S. on its decision to attack Iran late last month, and many leaders in the alliance opposed the action.
“We would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be, do we?” Trump told the audience.
“That sounds like a breaking story? Yes, sir. Is that breaking news? I think we just have breaking news, but that’s the fact. I’ve been saying that. Why would we be there for them if they’re not there for us? They weren’t there for us.”
The president has had a famously on-again-off-again relationship with the alliance, and he has at various points made comments that provoked questions about his willingness to adhere to NATO’s Article 5, which states an attack against one member state is an attack on all.
