Minutes before the meeting, Trump made a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform saying that US forces “no longer need” military assistance in the Iran war. Trump said “most” NATO allies had said they did not want to get involved, along with Japan, Australia and South Korea, describing the decades-old military alliance as a “one-way street”.
“Due to the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need’ or want the help of NATO countries — WE EVER HAVE!”
The 79-year-old Republican has long criticized NATO, and since returning to power in January 2025, he has pushed its members to increase their defense spending.
Asked if he would reconsider the US relationship with NATO, as he has suggested in the past, Trump said it was “certainly something we should think about”, but added: “I don’t have anything in mind right now”.
