Trump Meets NATO Chief Mark Rutte to Discuss Potential US Withdrawal from Alliance

US President Donald Trump was set to discuss the possible withdrawal of the United States from NATO during a Wednesday Oval Office meeting with alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte, the White House announced, as tensions between Washington and its European partners reached a new peak over the Iran conflict. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the topic would be on the agenda hours before the two men were scheduled to meet. Leavitt framed the discussion in stark terms, accusing the alliance of abandoning the United States at a critical moment. Trump and Rutte were also expected to address the broader state of the transatlantic relationship, including the war in Ukraine and defense spending obligations. The meeting carried exceptional weight given that it came just one day after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7, 2026, following weeks of active hostilities that began on February 28. European allies had largely refused to participate in the US-led military campaign, and the fallout from that refusal now threatened the alliance's cohesion at its most fundamental level.

Leavitt delivers blunt verdict on NATO's conduct Leavitt used her weekly press briefing to deliver the White House's sharpest public assessment yet of NATO's performance during the Iran conflict. She cited a direct quote from Trump when pressed by reporters on the state of the alliance.

„It's quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, when it's the American people who have been funding their defense” — Karoline Leavitt via France 24

She also relayed Trump's own words on the matter directly.

„They were tested and they failed” — Karoline Leavitt via Bloomberg Business

Leavitt confirmed that NATO withdrawal was not merely a hypothetical but an active subject of presidential deliberation, saying it was "something the president has discussed" and would raise with Rutte. She added that Trump was looking forward to a "very candid conversation" with the secretary general. The White House also left open the possibility that Trump might speak publicly following the meeting, telling reporters they might "hear directly from the president" afterward.

Spain and Italy base vetoes deepened the rift with Washington The immediate trigger for Trump's anger was the refusal of several NATO allies to allow the United States to use military bases on their territory for operations connected to the Iran conflict. Spain and Italy both vetoed the use of US bases on their soil for activities related to the conflict, citing treaty limitations, according to reporting by Europa Press. Trump had also called on European partners to participate in a naval mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a request that went unmet. In response, Trump publicly branded NATO members "cowards" and described the alliance as a "paper tiger" in remarks to the British newspaper The Telegraph. He also revived a separate grievance over NATO countries' refusal to support his interest in acquiring Greenland, a Danish territory and NATO member, according to Bloomberg. The accumulation of these disputes transformed what had been a scheduled diplomatic visit into a high-stakes confrontation over the alliance's future.

NATO has faced recurring internal tensions since Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025. During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump also considered withdrawing from the alliance, according to web search results. The current crisis is rooted in the US-Israel military campaign against Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026, following the killing of then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial strikes. European allies declined to join the campaign, and the dispute over base access and the Strait of Hormuz mission escalated those divisions into an open rupture.

Rutte's reputation as a mediator faces its toughest test yet Mark Rutte arrived in Washington carrying a well-established reputation as a diplomatic bridge-builder between Trump and the rest of the alliance. The former Dutch prime minister, who took over as NATO Secretary General in October 2024, has been described by multiple outlets as a "Trump whisperer" for his ability to manage the US president through direct engagement and, at times, flattery. Rutte had already sought to soften the tension over Iran by publicly stating that US efforts to degrade Tehran's military capability were something to "applaud," and Trump had responded warmly, calling Rutte "a wonderful guy." Before the Oval Office meeting, Rutte held a separate session with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which the two discussed Operation Epic Fury, the Russia-Ukraine peace process, and NATO burden-sharing. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the Rubio-Rutte talks also covered "increasing coordination and burden shifting with NATO Allies." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was also involved in the high-level Washington discussions. A NATO official said Rutte planned to use the meetings to "build on" transatlantic cooperation in the defense industry, in addition to addressing the Iran and Ukraine security situations.

Road to the Oval Office meeting: — ; — ; — ; —