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Trump warns NATO faces 'very bad future' if allies fail to help US on Iran
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US President Donald Trump, in an interview with the Financial Times (FT), has warned that NATO faces a "very bad future" if allies fail to assist in opening the Strait of Hormuz.
"We have a thing called NATO," Trump, who has often criticised Washington's allies in the US-led military alliance, told the publication.
"We've been very sweet. We didn't have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us … But we helped them. Now we'll see if they help us. Because I've long said that we'll be there for them, but they won't be there for us. And I'm not sure that they'd be there," he said.
When asked to specify the help he needed, the publication reported that Trump said, "Whatever it takes". He also expressed frustration with the UK's stance.
"The UK might be considered the number one ally, the longest serving, et cetera, and when I asked for them to come, they didn't want to come," he told the publication. "And as soon as we basically wiped out the danger capacity from Iran, they said, ‘Oh, well, we'll send two ships', and I said, ‘We need these ships before we win, not after we win'. I've long said that NATO is a one-way street."
Trump also told the FT he could delay his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month as he presses the Chinese government to help unblock the key waterway.
"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump told the FT, arguing that China and Europe rely heavily on oil from the Gulf region, unlike the US.
"We have a thing called NATO," Trump, who has often criticised Washington's allies in the US-led military alliance, told the publication.
"We've been very sweet. We didn't have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us … But we helped them. Now we'll see if they help us. Because I've long said that we'll be there for them, but they won't be there for us. And I'm not sure that they'd be there," he said.
When asked to specify the help he needed, the publication reported that Trump said, "Whatever it takes". He also expressed frustration with the UK's stance.
"The UK might be considered the number one ally, the longest serving, et cetera, and when I asked for them to come, they didn't want to come," he told the publication. "And as soon as we basically wiped out the danger capacity from Iran, they said, ‘Oh, well, we'll send two ships', and I said, ‘We need these ships before we win, not after we win'. I've long said that NATO is a one-way street."
Trump also told the FT he could delay his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month as he presses the Chinese government to help unblock the key waterway.
"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump told the FT, arguing that China and Europe rely heavily on oil from the Gulf region, unlike the US.
Source - Al Jazeera
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