President Donald Trump criticized NATO on 8/4, stating on Truth Social, "NATO was not there when we needed them, and they will not be there if we need them again." This post followed a closed-door meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

Prior to the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had announced that President Trump would discuss the possibility of the US leaving NATO. She expressed regret, saying, "It is regrettable that NATO has turned its back on the US over the past 6 weeks, despite the American people funding their defense."

Following the discussions, Secretary General Rutte described them as "very frank, open" but did not confirm whether President Trump had raised the possibility of the US withdrawing from the alliance. During the meeting, Trump also mentioned Denmark's Greenland, calling it "poorly managed" without further explanation. According to AFP, he appeared to reiterate threats that the US seeks to acquire the island.

Secretary General Mark Rutte (left) and President Trump in Davos, Switzerland, on 21/1. Photo: Reuters

The meeting occurred one day after the US and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement. President Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Western allies for refusing to support Washington in its conflict with Tehran. The US leader previously called NATO a "paper tiger" after the alliance did not participate in efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz, and some member nations prohibited the US from using bases on their territory for Middle East operations.

The Wall Street Journal reported on 8/4 that the Trump administration is considering a plan to "punish NATO members deemed unhelpful" by withdrawing troops from those countries and deploying additional forces to nations strongly supporting US operations against Iran.