The US president said in recent days that he is considering pulling out of the alliance, describing it as a “paper tiger”.
Donald Trump is not helping NATO’s ability to deter Russia by publicly questioning his commitment to the alliance and being rude about his allies, the head of the Dutch armed forces has signalled, calling it “not a wise thing to say”.
But General Onno Eichelsheim told Sky News that he still believed the United States would come to the defence of a NATO nation if requested, saying the kind of interactions he has on a military level, including with his US counterpart General Dan Caine, were unchanged.
“If we ask them to help us out, they will do it,” the Chief of Defence (CHOD) of the Netherlands said in an interview on the sidelines of the London Defence Conference.
The US president, who has long viewed NATO with disdain because of its over-reliance on US military strength to protect Europe, said in recent days that he is considering pulling out of the alliance, dismissing it as a “paper tiger”.
He also said he is “very disappointed” in his allies after he asked for their support in his war against Iran – even though he then said he did not need it – and they stayed away.
Mr Trump even hinted this meant he would no longer be willing to help an ally in distress – undermining a founding principle of the alliance under Article 5 of the NATO treaty that an attack on one member state is an attack on all.
“Why would we be there for them if they’re not there for us? They weren’t there for us,” he said.