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Donald Trump criticized allies.
US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with NATO allies during a meeting with Mark Rutte on Wednesday, April 8, and hinted he is considering retaliation over their lack of support in the war with Iran, Politico reports. Rutte’s long-planned visit quickly turned into a mission to “save NATO” after Trump threatened to leave the alliance over countries like Spain and France refusing to back US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
According to Politico sources, Trump used the White House meeting to vent his frustration with Europe’s refusal to take part in the Iran operation.
“Everything went off the rails. The conversation was nothing but a tirade of insults. Trump seemed to threaten to do almost anything,” one European official said.
That official and another source familiar with the matter said Trump also signaled he is weighing retaliation options, without giving details. Sources added he gave the impression he expects concrete actions from allies, including helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible.
However, a White House official said Trump made no demands of the alliance during the talks.
“As President Trump said yesterday, NATO was tested and they failed that test. At this point he expects nothing from NATO and has asked for nothing, although it is a fact they benefit far more from the Strait of Hormuz than the United States,” the official said.
After the meeting, Trump publicly criticized NATO allies and again mentioned his intention to annex Greenland.
A NATO spokesperson, Allison Hart, told Politico that Rutte and Trump had a “very frank conversation,” but rejected reports the closed-door meeting went poorly, calling it “constructive.”
“I sensed his frustration that, in his view, too many allies did not support him,” Rutte said on Thursday, April 9.
Another European official told Politico that despite signs of tension, Rutte’s visit was timely as it allowed Trump to “blow off steam.” Sources noted Trump’s Truth Social posts after the meeting were general and contained no specific threats against NATO or individual allies.
“This is a step back compared to some of his other comments. The situation is still unstable, but NATO was lucky he (Rutte) was there at that moment,” one source said.
NATO countries have not yet been briefed on the meeting, according to two senior alliance diplomats, and have not begun discussions on deploying military assets to restore passage through the strait.
US allies have repeatedly promised to help restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but only after a full ceasefire.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday he urged Trump in a phone call on April 8 to continue negotiations to end the war with Iran.
“At the same time, I assured him that after a peace agreement is reached, Germany will help ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, provided there is a proper mandate and a realistic plan. We do not want this war, which has become a transatlantic stress test, to further strain relations between the United States and its European NATO partners,” Merz added.
French Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon also said Paris is considering “purely defensive” military options.
“Over the past week, we have hosted officers from various countries that decided to take part in this initiative aimed at helping restore maritime navigation. The planning phase is moving forward, and there is a shared goal to support maritime security in this strategic area,” he said.
Last week, a coalition of 41 countries led by the United Kingdom backed new sanctions and increased diplomatic pressure on Iran over its blocking of the key waterway, but clearly stated it would not provide military assistance while the war continues.
Asked whether London plans to host another meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Thursday he had nothing to announce regarding “any next steps or meetings.”
Speaking in Washington on Thursday, Rutte defended allies’ response to the Iran war, seeking to reassure that NATO is not under threat. The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is already discussing punishing certain NATO countries he believes failed to support the US and Israel, potentially by withdrawing American troops from those states and redeploying them to more supportive allies.
