Washington, April 2 US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised NATO, questioned its relevance in modern conflicts, and suggested the alliance may not support the United States in a major war.
Speaking at a White House Easter lunch on Wednesday, Trump said recent military operations exposed deep weaknesses within the transatlantic alliance. “We’ve had some very bad allies in NATO,” he said, adding that the bloc had failed to step forward when asked.
He described NATO as ineffective in real conflict situations. “They’re a paper tiger,” Trump said, asserting that the US did not need the alliance’s help during ongoing operations.
Trump said he had reached out to multiple NATO members seeking support but received little commitment. “Many of them said, we’ll be there after the war is completed,” he said, criticising what he described as delayed and symbolic backing.
The President said this response reinforced his concerns about NATO’s reliability. “NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one,” he said, warning that the alliance may fail in a major global conflict.
Trump also pointed to what he described as an imbalance in burden-sharing. He said the US had spent “trillions of dollars on NATO” while receiving little in return when support was sought.
In his remarks, as per the video posted by the White House on its YouTube channel, Trump singled out key allies, including France and the UK, suggesting they were unwilling or slow to provide assistance. The video was later pulled out from YouTube by the White House.
Trump recounted conversations with leaders where requests for immediate military support were declined or postponed.
The remarks reflected a broader scepticism toward alliances and multilateral security frameworks. Trump said the US military was capable of operating independently and had already demonstrated that capability. “We didn’t need them,” he said, referring to NATO involvement.
He added that US forces had carried out operations effectively without allied intervention. “We were blasting the hell out of them… and the last thing I needed was NATO stepping in our way,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments suggested a shift toward a more unilateral approach to security. He indicated that alliances should not be relied upon in critical situations and that the US should act based on its own strategic interests.
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