On March 17, U.S. President Trump posted on his social media platform "Truth Social" that the United States has received notifications from most NATO "allies" stating they are unwilling to get involved in the U.S. military actions against Iran in the Middle East. Trump stated he was not surprised - because he has always believed that NATO is essentially a "one-way street": the U.S. will protect them, but they will do nothing for the U.S., especially when the U.S. needs their help.
This statement is an expression of his usual sentiment.
He accused allies of "free-riding," complaining about the unequal obligations within NATO. He believes that NATO is essentially a one-way mechanism where the U.S. provides protection, but when the U.S. needs its allies (for example, in confronting Iran in the Middle East), they are unwilling to reciprocate.
Questioning the practicality of NATO, by emphasizing "not being surprised," he implies that NATO lacks flexibility in U.S. military operations outside of its core European interests, and its value is limited.
Pressuring allies to increase defense spending, this continues his一贯 "transactional" diplomatic thinking. It suggests that if allies are unwilling to share the risk, the U.S. may reassess its security commitments to them. It implies that if allies do not support, the U.S. may act alone, or use this as a prelude to its potential future decision to withdraw forces.
Finally, by publicly showing the "reluctance" of allies, it sends a message to Iran that even if allies do not respond to his call, the U.S. will still achieve victory. It dispels Iran's notion that the U.S. will fail.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859959501916160/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.