The Wall Street Journal: The Trump administration is considering punishing NATO countries that have been reluctant to support the war on Iran. Maybe Spain and Germany are at the top of the list
Afrasianet - The Wall Street Journal published a report by Annie Lynskey and Robert Grimmer in which they said Donald Trump's team is thinking about ways to punish NATO countries that have not rushed to help the president in his war on Iran.
The plan includes withdrawing U.S. troops from NATO member states deemed uncooperative with U.S. military efforts against Iran, and redeploying them to more supportive countries. This plan may be a watered-down version of President Trump's recent threats to pull the United States out of the alliance, something he cannot legally implement without congressional approval.
The plan, which has been circulated and endorsed by senior administration officials in recent weeks, is in its early stages and is one of several plans the White House is discussing to punish NATO.
The gap between the Trump administration and its European allies has widened in the wake of the president's decision to wage war on Iran.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte traveled to Washington on Wednesday to meet with Trump, seeking to strengthen ties with him despite tensions in the alliance, and was among those who persuaded him not to annex Greenland.
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt said on Wednesday: "It is truly sad that NATO has abandoned the American people for the past six weeks, while it is the American people who are funding their defense." It added that Trump planned to have a "frank and transparent dialogue" with Rutte. On Wednesday evening, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "NATO did not exist when we needed it and will not exist if we need it again."
About 84,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Europe, though the number varies due to military exercises and periodic deployments.
U.S. bases in Europe are a vital hub for global military operations, and they contribute to the prosperity of the U.S. economy through investment.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized NATO countries for their reluctance to provide significant support to the United States in the war with Iran.
It is not yet clear which countries will lose the presence of U.S. troops, but a number of NATO members have been at loggerheads with Trump since he returned to office, and his anger has recently grown over their opposition to the war against Iran.
Spain was the only NATO country that did not announce its intention to spend 5 percent of its GDP on defense, and U.S. aircraft involved in the operation prevented Iran from using its airspace. Administration officials are also frustrated with Germany after its top officials criticized the war, even though Germany is one of the largest and most important U.S. military support centers for operations in the Middle East.
Italy also briefly banned the U.S. from using an air base in Sicily, and the French government agreed to allow the U.S. to use a base in southern France only after ensuring that planes not involved in Iranian strikes would land there.
In addition to redeploying U.S. troops, the plan includes closing a U.S. base in at least one European country, possibly Spain or Germany, administration officials say.
They added that countries that might benefit from the plan, given that it is considered supportive, include Greece, Poland, Romania and Lithuania. Eastern European countries have become among the countries that spend high rates on defense within the alliance. These were among the first countries to show their willingness to support an international coalition to monitor the Strait of Hormuz. After the outbreak of war, Romania quickly agreed to U.S. requests to allow the U.S. Air Force to use its bases.
This plan could lead to the deployment of more U.S. troops near the Russian border, likely to anger Moscow.
Trump spoke of his "deep disappointment" with NATO, saying their unwillingness to support the United States in the war on Iran was a "stain that will not be erased."
On Monday, Trump spoke of his "deep disappointment" with NATO, saying their unwillingness to support the United States in the war on Iran was "a stain on NATO that will not be erased." He threatened to withdraw from the alliance, as he posted on his platform "Truth Social" that member states have not provided any assistance in the war with Iran, adding: "The United States needs nothing from NATO."
Senior European officials, however, have asserted that the U.S. did not consult them about the war before it was launched, complicating the task of coordinating the military response in the early days of the conflict.
The war on Iran is the latest in a series of diplomatic crises NATO has faced since Trump took office. Trump has angered allies over heavy tariffs on Europe and his attempts to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin in efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.
Trump has also caused an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with his NATO ally Denmark over his efforts to annex Greenland, an Arctic island belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark. During his first term, Trump ordered the withdrawal of about 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, but President Joe Biden reversed that decision after taking office in 2021.
