US President Donald Trump openly aired his frustration with his own allies over their role in the military action against Iran. During a White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said bluntly that America had not needed anyone's help, yet it had expected at least a little support and loyalty from partner nations. The twist was that the very NATO chief Trump was lecturing then sat across from him and laid out the numbers to show just how much Europe had actually pitched in.
'We didn't need anyone's help'
Trump made it clear that America had brought Iran to its knees on its own. He said, 'We had completely destroyed Iran in the very first week. We didn't need anyone's help, but it would have been nice if our allies had said we are with you.' When he was asked whether the European countries had backed the United States, his answer was short and sharp, 'No.'
Rutte's reply: thousands of American planes flew out of Europe
After Trump's accusations, Rutte stepped up to defend Europe. He put the figures on the table right in front of Trump, explaining that during the six-week campaign against Iran, until the ceasefire took hold in mid-April, somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 American planes had taken off from military bases across Europe. Rutte added that Bucharest airport in Romania even had to be closed to regular flights for a while so that US military aircraft could take off without obstruction. 'There may well have been a few separate incidents that left you disappointed, but on the whole the European allies stood with you,' Rutte said.
From Spain and Italy to France, no one was spared
Trump did not stop there, naming one European country after another as he laid into them. He said, 'Spain is a complete disappointment. I am disappointed in Italy. I am also disappointed in Britain, Germany and France. Most of these countries don't want to spend anything. They think America will always protect them and they can keep getting a free ride.' Trump pointed out that thousands of American troops are stationed in Europe, with around 50,000 US soldiers in Germany alone. Even so, he said, his allies had not given him the support he had expected.
'Not money, just loyalty' and the 'Trump Trillion'
Trump also stressed that he had no need for his allies' money. 'We have the most powerful military in the world. All we want is loyalty. We always fight for them, but in return we don't get even a little support,' he said. During the same meeting Rutte used the phrase 'Trump Trillion', claiming that pressure from Trump was the reason Europe and Canada had raised their defence spending by roughly 1.2 trillion dollars. On top of that, he said, American defence companies had also landed billions of dollars in fresh orders.
