Donald Trump describes the North Atlantic Alliance as a “paper tiger”. The American leader is considering the withdrawal of the USA from NATO, after several allies refused to support American attacks on Iran.
The statements were made during an interview granted for the Daily Telegraph. Trump revealed that he had long-standing doubts about the credibility of NATO.
“NATO has never impressed me. I’ve always known they are a paper tiger, and Putin knows this as well,” said the President of the USA.
The statements are being described as the strongest sign yet that the White House is considering withdrawing from the alliance, notes hotnews.ro. Article 5 of the NATO Treaty stipulates that an armed attack against one member state will be considered an attack against all. This collective defense clause has been activated only once, at the request of Washington, following the terrorist attacks that took place in the USA on September 11, 2001.
A potential intention of Trump to withdraw the USA from NATO might require the approval of Congress, but any signal that Washington might not be willing to defend its allies in the event of a Russian attack risks seriously weakening the alliance, in the current international security context.