The Trump administration is considering a plan to punish some members of the NATO alliance that President Donald Trump believes were unhelpful to the US during the Iran war, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
The proposal would involve moving US troops out of NATO member countries deemed unhelpful to the Iran war effort and stationing them in countries that were more supportive of the US war.
The plan, which gained support among senior administration officials, falls short of a full withdrawal from the alliance, which would require congressional approval.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump plans to have a "frank and candid conversation" with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who arrived in Washington on Wednesday.
"It's quite sad that NATO turned its back on the American people over the last six weeks when it's the American people who have been funding their defence," she said.
Countries in focus
Specific tensions emerged with Spain, which blocked US planes from using its airspace, and Germany, where officials criticised the war despite the country serving as a major US military hub.
Conversely, countries like Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Greece have been viewed as supportive.
Romania quickly approved US requests to use its airbases following the outbreak of hostilities.
Beyond repositioning some of the 84,000 troops stationed in Europe, the plan could involve closing a US base in at least one country, possibly Spain or Germany.
While the Trump administration frequently criticised the alliance on social media — claiming NATO has "done absolutely nothing to help" — European officials have countered that they were never consulted before the war began.
