The Trump Administration would be evaluating a plan to sanction certain NATO member countries who, in the opinion of the Republican president, have not provided sufficient support to the United States and Israel during the conflict with Iran, as reported this Wednesday by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, citing government sources.
This initiative would contemplate relocate troops Americans, withdrawing them from those allied countries considered not very committed and deploying them in territories that do support the US military campaign, a measure that would greatly affect countries such as Spain y Germany.
The proposal would also include, according to US officials cited by WSJ, the closing of a base American in at least one European country, putting the bases of Rota (Cádiz) and Morón de la Frontera (Sevilla).
According to the newspaper, the project has already circulated among senior government officials and has been gaining support in recent weeks, although it is still in an initial phase of development.
This is another idea from Trump to punish NATO countries, but less drastic than the one he proposed this Wednesday to the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Ruttein order to increase pressure on allied countries: the US president has threatened to completely abandon the Atlantic Alliance.
The United States has approximately 84,000 military personnel stationed in Europe. In addition, it has some 40 military bases in European territory, which represent a notable positive economic impact for the host country thanks to the investment generated. Most of them belong to NATO.
But Trump now finds them useless. He believes that NATO “was not there” when he needed it in his offensive against Iran and thinks that “it will not be there” when he needs it again, as he expressed in a publication on his social network in which he once again mentions Greenland, the Danish island that the United States intends to annex: “Remember that enormous and poorly managed piece of ice!”
According to Rutte, the White House tenant is “clearly disappointed” with the role that some European allies have played in this war. “It is true that not all European nations fulfilled their commitments. I perfectly understand their disappointment!” he stated, justifying the Republican’s recent reproaches.
Spain, in Trump’s crosshairs
In recent weeks, Trump has come to call NATO members “cowards”, brand the alliance a “paper tiger” and threaten on more than one occasion with the departure of the United States.
The US did not like Germany’s attitude during the war in Iran. Officials close to Chancellor Friedrich Merz have criticized the hostilities that Trump began. Italy, France and the United Kingdom have also shown their opposition to the offensive on several occasions.
But one of the greatest Western opponents of the war in the Middle East has been, without a doubt, Spain. The Government of Pedro Sanchez prevented From the first day of the war, the use of its bases and airspace to US operatives headed to attack Iran. Nor did it send military ships to the Strait of Hormuz to ensure traffic in the sea passage.
These have been positions strongly criticized by Trump directly, after several months of clashes over the Spanish government’s refusal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, as requested by the Republican president to strengthen NATO.
According to officials consulted by WSJSpain could be the most affected if Trump’s sanctions plan against allied members of the Atlantic Alliance is carried out.
That is to say, The Rota and Morón bases are the ones most likely to disappear and be transferred to another NATO country that the US president considers more cooperative in its military actions, such as Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Greece.
The idea of leaving NATO
A day after signing a -fragile- ceasefire with Iran, the US once again makes the world expectant of its actions and words.
This Wednesday, the White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt announced a meeting between Rutte and Trump because he believes that “NATO has turned its back on the American people during the last six weeks”, advancing that they would discuss the possible departure of the US from this transatlantic organization.
The meeting lasted approximately two hours, without access to the press and without a subsequent press conference. The US Administration has not yet issued any official statement regarding the meeting.
However, The Secretary General has granted the CNN an interview minutes after leaving the White House. In it he was asked if Trump mentioned during the meeting his intentions to withdraw the United States from NATO, but avoided answering directly saying that the alliance is in the midst of a “transformation” and that European countries are willing to be more “careful” on defense issues.
Rutte pointed out during the interview that despite the Republican’s clear discontent with the organization he represents, he “listened carefully” and with a receptive attitude to his arguments about what is happening in Europe regarding the war in Iran.
On the other hand, he has refused to comment on the threats issued by Trump saying that he would end an entire civilization and said that now “the world is safer” thanks to his “leadership.”
Rutte has tried to strengthen the relationship with the American president despite tensions within the alliance, being one of the figures who managed to dissuade him from trying to annex Greenland, among other issues.
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