President Donald Trump reportedly threatened to cut military supplies to Ukraine after NATO allies refused to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has made his displeasure known over NATO’s unwillingness to contribute to efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran blockaded after the United States and Israel launched a surprise attack against it on Feb. 28. His displeasure behind the scenes was even greater, according to officials speaking with the Financial Times, leveraging U.S. military aid to Ukraine in force European powers to help reopen the strait.
After Trump was rebuffed by NATO countries in his call to help reopen the strait, Trump threatened to stop supplying NATO’s weapons procurement effort to supply Ukraine with U.S. weapons, funded by European money.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, known for his warm relationship with Trump, rescued the situation with a flurry of calls to Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and European officials. One official said that in a call with France, Germany, and the U.K., Rutte explained that Trump was “rather hysterical” at Europe’s refusal to protect the Strait of Hormuz.
The March 19 declaration from the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the Netherlands expressing their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait” was the result of this flurry of calls. An official told the outlet that only a limited number of countries signed on originally because “there was not enough time to invite everyone to sign up straight away.”
The day after, when word got out, the statement was released again, with another 14 countries signing on.
Trump has had a rocky relationship with NATO during his second term in office, with grievances ranging from differing positions on the Russia-Ukraine War to a refusal to cede Danish control over Greenland to the U.S. The frustrations reached a boiling point during the war with Iran, resulting in an interview with the Telegraph where he said that he was never a fan of the alliance and that he might withdraw the U.S. from it after the war.
“Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration,” Trump said. “I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
When the U.S. needed its help the most, NATO was “beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe.”
Trump even hinted at his threats toward Ukraine funding in the interview, contrasting the U.S.’s help toward Ukraine with Europe’s attitude toward Iran.
TRUMP SAYS LEAVING ‘PAPER TIGER’ NATO IS NOW ‘BEYOND RECONSIDERATION’
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine,” Trump said. “Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.”
He said he would express his “disgust” for NATO in his planned Wednesday address, and reiterated that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawing the U.S. from the alliance during an interview with Reuters.