American leader Donald Trump has begun to publicly complain that the United States is helping NATO, but he says the Alliance will never "be there" if something happens.
Points of attention
- The US president's history of lambasting NATO for inadequate defense contributions continues to fuel tensions within the alliance.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's backing of Trump's actions in the Middle East stands in contrast to the criticism from most alliance members, deepening the divide.
Trump is again unhappy with NATO
The head of the White House issued a new batch of claims during a conference in Miami.
I always said we help them but they will never help us. If something serious happens I don't think it will, but if something does happen I guarantee you they won't be around
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Against the backdrop of recent events, the American leader decided to publicly express gratitude to Saudi Arabia for supporting the United States in the war against Iran.
"I want to thank the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — they have been very helpful, unlike NATO," said Donald Trump.
What is important to understand is that this is not the first time that the US president has criticized NATO members.
Previously, he did not hide his indignation over the meager defense contributions of the bloc's countries.
The war in the Middle East, which Donald Trump started, is actively supported only by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, while most Alliance members criticize the actions of the US leader.
