Donald Trump escalated his criticism of NATO allies on Thursday, suggesting he may withdraw U.S. troops from Italy and Spain due to their lack of support for his Iran policies and the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he would consider pulling troops from Spain and Italy, similar to his earlier threat to withdraw forces from Germany. “Yeah, probably,” he replied. “I probably will. I mean, look, why shouldn’t I?”
Trump went on to attack Italy and Spain directly: “Italy has not been of any help to us, and Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible. As has NATO.”
He also criticized NATO’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it “insane” that former President Joe Biden provided aid to Ukraine despite the U.S. being “an ocean apart.” Trump claimed the U.S. handled Iran independently: “We didn’t need any help with Iran. We had Iran right from the first day, it was over. It was over.”
This statement contradicts the ongoing conflict, now in its eighth week, which has triggered a global energy crisis due to the blockade of Iran’s oil trade. The Trump administration has repeatedly urged European allies to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, even proposing the formation of an international coalition to restore freedom of navigation.
However, Trump claimed allies declined involvement: “In all cases, they said, ‘We don’t want to get involved.’”
Trump’s Troop Withdrawal Threats Spark Pentagon Concerns
Trump’s earlier announcement of a potential troop withdrawal from Germany caught the Pentagon off guard. A congressional aide told Politico that the Defense Department “was not expecting it and has not been planning any kind of drawdown.” The aide added, “But we have to take him seriously because he was serious about it during his first administration.”
In July 2020, Trump proposed removing 12,000 troops from Germany to pressure Berlin over its defense spending. That order was never implemented.
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