Trump frustrated with NATO, what he said in anger

US President Donald Trump reiterated his disappointment over the refusal of NATO allies to send military forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz and said that Washington may not stand by NATO even if asked in the future.

“They weren’t there. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year on NATO, protecting them and we were always there for them,” Trump said at an investment forum in Miami on Friday (March 27). “But now, based on their actions, it seems like we don’t have to be there, right?”

“If they’re not there for us, why should we be there for them? They weren’t there for us,” he said. Since the US-Israeli campaign against Iran began a month ago, Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the lack of support from Western allies and their reluctance to send forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for Gulf oil and gas exports, is at risk of attack by Iran. The closure of the waterway has brought global energy prices to a virtual standstill, sending oil prices soaring.

Six major countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have said they are ready to “contribute to appropriate initiatives” but have yet to make any commitments.

Trump has been one of the most vocal critics of NATO. Last week, he called other NATO members “cowards” and declared that without the United States, the alliance is a “paper tiger.”

On Thursday, he said on his Truth Social platform that the United States “needs nothing from NATO.” “NATO countries have done absolutely nothing to help Iran, a militarily devastated, mad state,” he said.

AFP reports.