Trump says ‘very upset with NATO’ over Iran war, Greenland 0

US President Donald Trump has accused NATO allies of abandoning Washington during its confrontation with Iran, claiming European governments failed to support the United States despite decades of American military and financial backing.

The remarks came ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, where alliance leaders gathered to discuss a major expansion of militarism and increased military spending.

Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, Trump said he had been “testing” NATO members by seeking their support during the US military aggression against Iran.

“In a way, I was testing people. I was testing to see whether or not they would be there because I have long said that we help them, but I am not sure that they would be there for us,” Trump said.

Trump accused several European governments of refusing to stand with Washington, naming Italy, Germany and France.

“Italy turned us down and Germany turned us down and France turned us down,” he said. “Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and they are not there for us, we are always there for them.”

He also questioned NATO’s ability to survive without US financial backing, reviving his longstanding demands that European allies spend more on military and contribute more directly to the alliance.

Washington has reportedly begun weighing punitive measures against allies based on their level of support during the war on Iran. Pentagon officials have floated the possibility of suspending Spain from the alliance after Madrid allegedly refused to allow the use of its military bases, ports and airspace for strikes on Iran.

Source: Presstv