US disappointed with most NATO members – Trump

The president made the remarks during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday. He singled out the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain for criticism. 

“We were disappointed with most of them,” Trump said.

“I just want loyalty. You know, we’re so loyal to them. We are always fighting for them,” Trump argued, noting that the US has troops stationed in several European countries.

“In Germany, we have 50,000 troops. And then you want a little – give us a little nudge, give us a little kiss. We don’t want much. And they say, ‘No, we can’t do it,’” he said.

Trump labeled Spain “terrible” for what he described as wanting “a free ride” and not spending enough on defense.

Rutte sought to downplay the disagreements without directly challenging Trump. “I do agree there is a reason for disappointment, absolutely. But my argument is this: These are isolated cases,” he said. He argued that, despite voicing opposition to the war with Iran, countries such as Germany and Romania had fulfilled all their “bilateral commitments” to the US.

US aircraft flew between 4,000 and 5,000 missions from bases in Europe during the first six weeks of the conflict, Rutte said. He later displayed a chart showing that European investment in the US supports 83,000 jobs.

In March, Spain refused to allow the US to use its bases for strikes on Iran, prompting outrage at the White House. Trump said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and other critics of the Iran campaign should focus on “fixing” their own countries. Merz later said he would not recommend that his children travel to the US due to what he described as its “social climate.”

In the most recent public spat between the allies, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused Trump of spreading “completely fabricated” claims after he said she had “begged” him to take a photo with her during a recent G7 summit in France.