Trump Disappointed with NATO, Says No Longer Needs Help from NATO Countries

On the 17th, U.S. President Trump, while meeting with visiting Irish Prime Minister Martin at the White House, once again expressed dissatisfaction with NATO allies for not participating in the U.S.-proposed escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz, and said he was disappointed with NATO.

He told the media: "NATO is making a very stupid mistake. I want to know whether NATO will support us. So this is a good test because we don't need them, but they should have been there."

He said: "The United States must remember this because we find it very shocking."
He claimed that the United States has invested trillions of dollars into NATO over the years, which is one of the reasons for America's fiscal deficit.

However, when asked whether he would reconsider the U.S. relationship with NATO, Trump said, "There are no plans at the moment."

He noted that it won't be long before the Strait of Hormuz can be safely navigated.

He stated the United States is not yet ready to end the conflict with Iran, but "we will leave in the near future."

In recent days, Trump has repeatedly urged European countries and other allies to participate in the Hormuz Strait escort mission, and complained that some allies were not enthusiastic about assisting the United States.

Earlier on the 17th, Trump posted on social media stating that most NATO allies had informed the U.S. that they were unwilling to participate in U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran.

He stated he was not surprised by these countries' actions and said that, essentially, NATO is a one-way street: "We protect them, but they never do anything for us, especially when we need them."

Trump said the United States no longer needs nor expects help from NATO countries, and for Japan, Australia, or South Korea, "the situation is the same," "we simply don't need help from anyone."