Discussions on how to manage or mitigate a possible US withdrawal from the ‘European security architecture’ are ongoing, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday.
Fidan did not give details about the discussions, but said that this US withdrawal could be ‘destructive’ for Europe if carried out in an uncoordinated way.
US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw his country from NATO after European members of the Western military alliance refused to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz following the start of the war initiated by the US and Israel against Iran.
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The decision by European countries worsened friction within the bloc, which had already increased since Trump said he wanted to acquire Greenland.
‘We are discussing a lot about how to manage or mitigate the US withdrawal from the European security architecture. Not completely, but partially. Even a partial withdrawal… would be very destructive for Europe if not done in a coordinated way,’ Fidan said at a diplomacy forum in Turkey’s southern province of Antalya.
Fidan, whose country is part of NATO but not the European Union, said he has long complained that EU countries in NATO ‘act like a separate club’. They make decisions on their own, even if it goes against the alliance’s position, he said.
‘Do you want to be a separate EU organization within NATO? Well, the United States said, ‘I’m letting you go, cutting ties,” Fidan said.
Fidan urged allies this week to use a NATO summit in Ankara in July as an opportunity to reset ties with Trump and Washington as they prepare for a possible reduction in U.S. involvement.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he understands Trump’s frustrations with the alliance, but that the vast majority of European nations have been helping Washington’s war effort against Iran.
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A senior White House official told Reuters this month that Trump, as part of frustration with NATO, also considered the option of removing some US troops from Europe.
