Featured Image Credit: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, UK News, France, Politics, World News, Military
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, UK News, France, Politics, World News, Military
Donald Trump has threatened to leave NATO, 70 years on from the US creating the military alliance alongside several other countries after World War 2.
America was one of the 12 founding member countries of NATO when it was created in 1949. The other countries included the UK, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, all of whom remain part of NATO.
At present, there's 32 countries part of the coalition.
The US' relationship with other members of NATO has become strained of late, particularly in the wake of Trump joining forces with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu to launch an attack on Iran, sparking a war in the Middle East and global tension.
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The president has wanted support from countries like the UK in the ongoing conflict, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to drag Brits into the bloodshed.
In a public address given today (April 1), Starmer said that it's 'not our war' and refused to let the likes of Trump drag the UK into it all.
He went on to tell viewers in the televised speech: "Whatever the pressure, whatever the noise, I am the British prime minister and I have to act in our national interests."
Now, in a newly released interview with British newspaper The Telegraph, Trump shared that he's considering leaving NATO.
"Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration," the POTUS said when asked if he's considering exiting NATO once the Iran war is over.
Trump added: "I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way."
Rebuking the UK about its lack of involvement, Trump went on share: "You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work."
In light of his sentiments, The Telegraph asked Trump if he thinks the UK should spend more on its defense.
"I’m not going to tell him what to do," he said of the prime minister. "He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof."
As well as taking aim at the UK, Trump hit out at France on Truth Social, alleging that the country 'wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory'.
Because of this, he called France 'very unhelpful'.
According to The Guardian, French president, Emmanuel Macron was 'surprised' by Trump's comments as France's stance on the war with Iran 'has not changed' since day one.