Donald Trump stated on Wednesday he is “seriously considering” withdrawing the US from NATO following the conclusion of the war in Iran.
Marco Rubio: NATO a One-Way Street
On the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that the United States would need to “re-evaluate the value of NATO for the US.” The top American diplomat emphasized he had previously been a staunch defender of the North Atlantic Alliance.
Rubio recalled seeing “huge value” in the Alliance, adding that beyond the potential defense of Europe, NATO allowed the US to maintain bases, which “allowed for the projection of force in different parts of the world when US national security is threatened.”
US Attempts to Utilize Bases Without Consent
The US attempted to use a Sicilian airbase without the consent of the Italian government, Reuters reported on Tuesday. According to the “Corriere della Sera” newspaper, the American military sought to land there without prior coordination with Italian army command.
European Restrictions on US Military Operations
Days earlier, Spain decided to close its airspace to US military aviation involved in operations in Iran. Furthermore, Reuters reported that France did not allow the transport of American weapons destined for Israel through its airspace.
Questioning NATO’s Value
“If we’ve reached the point where we can no longer use those bases to defend American interests, then NATO is a one-way street,” Rubio assessed. He believes the US currently maintains troops in Europe to defend it, but the American side is being denied the use of those bases during the war with Iran.
“Why are we in NATO then? You have to ask yourself that question: why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars if we won’t be freely able to use those bases when we need them?” the US Secretary of State stated.
Trump Predicts Swift End to Iran Conflict
“We’re finishing it. I’m going to finish it in two weeks, maybe a few days more,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, according to Maciej Czarnecki of Wyborcza.pl.
