The US president has lashed out at European partners for declining to contribute military forces to the war on Iran.Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026United States President Donald Trump is said to be considering withdrawing from NATO, the transatlantic alliance that has been a central pillar of Western security for decades.At a news briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the US and Israeli war against Iran as a “test” that the alliance had failed.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listDespite Trump’s pressure, NATO allies had declined to contribute military forces to the war, outside of defensive manoeuvres.Leavitt’s comments came shortly before Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.“I have a direct quote from the President of the United States on NATO, and I will share it with all of you. They were tested and they failed,” Leavitt said.“I would add, it’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense.”Trump, she continued, was preparing to have “a very frank and candid conversation” with Rutte that afternoon.The US president has had a mixed relationship with NATO, sometimes threatening to pull US support and, at other times, reassuring allies of the US’s continued commitment to the alliance.Since returning to the presidency in 2025, Trump has renewed his pressure campaign for NATO’s European partners to step up their defence spending.Last June, at the 2025 NATO summit, he largely succeeded. The NATO members agreed to nonbinding commitment to beef up their defence budgets to 5 percent of their gross domestic products (GDPs) by 2035. Advertisement But Spain sought an exemption, leading Trump to denounce the country r …
