"If people want to know the truth, everything began with Greenland. We wanted Greenland, but they refused to give us the island. So I said 'goodbye'," US President Donald Trump stated on 6/4.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member nation. Trump had long expressed ambitions to annex Greenland into US territory, a move that drew opposition from the alliance.

The US leader continued to criticize NATO as "just a paper tiger", stressing that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not intimidated" by the alliance. He also reiterated criticism of NATO allies for failing to support the US in the Middle East conflict.

"We approached NATO. I didn't make an aggressive demand, merely stating 'if you want to help, that's good', but they responded 'no, no, we will not provide support'," President Trump said, though he did not specify who delivered that answer.

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on 6/4. Photo: AFP

The US President also criticized partners outside NATO, including: South Korea, Japan, and Australia, for not assisting the US in the conflict with Iran. He commended Gulf nations such as: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for their support.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to visit Washington this week for talks with President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. This visit occurs amid escalating tensions between the US and NATO, as the US President has repeatedly issued criticisms and threatened to withdraw the US from the alliance.

On 20/3, Trump called NATO "cowardly" for its unwillingness to help the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stating Washington "will remember" this. NATO allies had previously expressed reluctance to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane that Iran had nearly blockaded since hostilities began on 28/2.

By 1/4, the US leader reiterated that NATO was "just a paper tiger". Beyond refusing to support Washington in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, some NATO member nations, including: France, Italy, and Spain, also prohibited US military aircraft from using their airspace and bases for attacks on Iran.

By Huyen Le (According to AFP)