While he sees the truce in Iran faltering, put to the test by the Israeli bombs in Lebanon, US President Donald Trump returns to criticizing NATO and dusts off the old issue of Greenland. There was a closed-door meeting at the White House between Trump and the secretary general of the Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte. There was no happy ending. We understand what issues are on the table and what can happen.
A target called Nato
The conditions were not very encouraging. In recent days, the tycoon has criticized his allies for not joining his war against Iran. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump is thinking of a “punitive” plan, moving US soldiers out of NATO member countries considered “of little use” to the war effort against Iran, to countries that supported Trump’s military campaign.
The meeting with Rutte did not bring about harmony. “NATO wasn’t there when we needed it and it won’t be there if we need it again,” Trump thundered on Truth shortly after the meeting with Rutte.
“It was a very frank, very open discussion,” Rutte later told CNN, without directly answering a question about the possible exit of the US from NATO. The secretary general admitted that during the meeting Trump was “clearly disappointed” by the allies, but at the same time he was “receptive”. Despite the obvious discontent, Rutte explained, Trump “listened carefully” to his arguments about what is happening in Europe regarding the war in Iran. “It is true that not all European nations have respected their commitments. I perfectly understand your disappointment!”, said Rutte, justifying Trump’s recent criticisms against allies. “I underlined – he added – that the vast majority of European countries have proven to be collaborative with regards to bases, logistics, overflights and compliance with commitments”.
However, Trump went further in his post. “Remember Greenland, that large, poorly managed, chunk of ice,” he wrote. A sentence that was not followed up and at the moment no explanations have been given. What did he mean? The “conquest” of Greenland was an issue for the tycoon in recent months, but was then put aside. We will have to wait for the next moves to understand that the tycoon has taken the “practice” out of the drawer.