President Donald Trump shook NATO allies Wednesday morning by strongly suggesting that the United States is considering withdrawing from the transatlantic military alliance, writes Politico. «I would say it's more than a simple reconsideration,» Trump told The Telegraph publication, when asked if he would reflect on the US's membership of the alliance after the end of the conflict in the Middle East. NATO allies have irked Trump by uniformly refusing to join the US-Israeli attack on Iran and rejecting the president's calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor that Tehran effectively blocked in response to the bombing. «I've never been convinced by NATO. I always knew it was a paper tiger, and Vladimir Putin knows it,» Trump added. His remarks came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington may have to reconsider its relationship with NATO after the end of the war against Iran, increasing pressure on European allies the US accuses of not providing enough support. Trump again criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for Britain's refusal to support America in the war with Iran and minimized the UK's military capability. «You don't even have a navy. You're too old and you've had aircraft carriers that don't work,» he said wryly of Britain's fleet of warships.
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