Donald Trump announced that he is considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, amid growing tensions with European allies and disagreements on the role of the alliance in recent conflicts. His statements rekindled international concern about the future of the bloc and coincided with the visit to Washington of the Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who
seeks to avoid a rupture.The meeting between the two leaders in the White House took place in a delicate climate, marked by Trump's discomfort at a lack of support from several member countries during the recent U.S. military campaign against Iran. The refusal of some allies to participate or even to provide logistical support, such as the use of airspace, was interpreted by the president as a sign of weakness and disloyalty within NATO
.From their perspective, this situation reinforces a historic criticism: that the United States assumes a disproportionate burden on collective defense, both in financial and military terms, while other members fail to meet equivalent commitments. In this context, the possibility of leaving the alliance, or at least significantly reducing its participation, appears as a measure aligned with its approach to prioritizing national interests
.After the meeting, Rutte adopted a conciliatory tone and avoided confronting Trump publicly. He described the meeting as “between friends” and praised the president's leadership, highlighting its impact on the evolution of the alliance. However, the Secretary General avoided answering directly about the possibility of a US withdrawal, in an attempt not to further escalate tensions
