Trump weighs punishing certain NATO countries over lack of Iran war support - report

Lead

President Donald Trump met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday, a day after the US and Iran agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire. The meeting came amid escalating tensions between Washington and its European allies over their refusal to join the US war effort against Iran.

Trump has repeatedly called the 32-member alliance a 'paper tiger' and has threatened to withdraw from NATO, according to multiple reports. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters before the meeting that NATO had 'turned their backs on the American people' and that Trump would have a 'very frank and candid conversation' with Rutte, as reported by several outlets.

Coverage comparison

Accounts of the meeting were broadly consistent across outlets, though they varied in tone and emphasis. ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, and France 24 described Trump as "venting frustration" or "lashing out" at NATO, while Deutsche Welle quoted Rutte saying Trump was "absolutely disappointed." The Guardian reported Rutte saying Trump was "clearly disappointed" with allies' refusal to join the Iran war.

Multiple outlets, including ABC Australia and Al Jazeera, reported that several NATO countries resisted supporting the US military campaign by denying US military planes use of airspace or declining to send naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. France 24 added that Trump has personally criticized some leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Rutte, in interviews with CNN after the meeting, called the discussion "very frank, very open" but between "two good friends," as quoted by ABC Australia, Deutsche Welle, and The Guardian. He declined to say directly whether Trump raised the threat to withdraw from NATO.

The White House did not disclose details of the talks, according to ABC Australia.

Key claims

• Meeting and Trump's disappointment: Trump met with NATO chief Mark Rutte at the White House on April 8, 2026. Rutte told CNN that Trump was "clearly disappointed" with many NATO allies for not joining the US war against Iran, as reported by The Guardian and ABC Australia.

• Allies' refusal to join the war: Multiple NATO countries refused to open their airspace to US military aircraft or send naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to ABC Australia and Al Jazeera. The closure of the strait has thrown global oil markets into crisis, ABC Australia reported.

• Threat to withdraw: Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull the US out of NATO over the Iran war, according to ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, France 24, and The Guardian. After the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social: "NATO WASN'T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON'T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN." He also revived his threat over Greenland, writing "Remember Greenland, that big, poorly run, piece of ice!!!" as quoted by Al Jazeera and The Guardian.

• Congressional restriction: The Guardian reported that Congress passed a law in 2023 preventing the US president from pulling out of NATO without congressional approval. This claim was carried by a single outlet and not mentioned by the others.

• Punishing NATO members: The Wall Street Journal reported, citing administration officials, that the Trump administration is considering a plan to punish NATO members deemed unhelpful during the Iran war by moving US troops out of their countries and stationing them in more supportive countries. This was reported by France 24, The Guardian, Yonhap, and The Hindu. The report said the plan is "early in conception" and has gained support among senior officials, according to Yonhap.

• Blacklist report: TASS reported, citing Politico, that the US administration has drawn up a blacklist of NATO countries that refused to support the US in its war with Iran and is considering ways to penalize them. The report, prepared ahead of Rutte's visit, ranks members by contributions and may lead to consequences such as cancelled joint exercises or reduced arms sales. This claim was carried only by TASS.

• Hegseth's comments: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in December that "model allies that step up" will receive "special favor" and those that fail to contribute to collective defense "will face consequences." He named Israel, South Korea, Poland, Finland, and the Baltics as examples. This was reported by TASS, which quoted him directly.

Perspectives

US administration: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said NATO "turned their backs on the American people," who have been funding their defense. She said Trump would discuss NATO with Rutte, acknowledging that withdrawal is "something the president has discussed." Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that allies failing to contribute will "face consequences," while model allies will receive "special favor."

NATO: Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the alliance, saying European members are "doing everything the United States is asking" and have provided "massive amount of support." He acknowledged that some allies were "a bit slow" to provide support for the Iran operation but insisted the "large majority of Europeans" had been helpful. He also said NATO and other US allies, including Australia, Japan, and South Korea, are ready to play a greater role in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkey: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested NATO allies should use the July summit in Ankara to reset ties with Trump. He said Turkey believed Trump would attend due to his "personal respect" for President Erdogan, but added that allies should prepare for a potential reduction of US involvement in the alliance, planning a phased exit if needed so "nobody is left in the open."