The White House press secretary said this Wednesday (April 8, 2026) that NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) abandoned North American interests. The statement was made before a meeting between President Donald Trump (Republican Party) and the secretary general of the military alliance, in Washington, at the White House, which is trying to prevent the North American departure from the group. The secretary also deals with instabilities in the relationship between the United States and Europe.
Rutte, responsible for trying to keep Trump close to NATO and avoiding the weakening of the alliance, arrived in the USA this Wednesday for a 3-day visit.
Recently the press secretary stated that she internally discussed the possibility of withdrawing the USA from the organization. The Republican has threatened to abandon the alliance in recent months. It rose after NATO countries refused more direct participation in the war against Iran and a Republican call to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“They were tested and failed”Leavitt said. Also said to be “Very sad that NATO has turned its back on the American people over the past 6 weeks.”
Trump announced plans for a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which in less than 24 hours has already emerged. The announcement came hours after stating that a “”.
Questions from European countries
Rutte now faces questions from European countries about his approach strategy with the North American president. The alliance came into conflict with public statements by the secretary general, who supported the military campaign of the United States and Israel. The information is from .
The Trump administration interprets the European stance as ingratitude and argues that the US has financed Europe’s defense for years. Rutte finds himself squeezed between a president threatening to leave the alliance and NATO members who have opposed his own public statements.
Rutte last year mounted a diplomatic offensive to preserve an already fragile alliance. Trump, in turn, has put pressure on the organization with statements and actions related to the conflict. The American president directed criticism at European allies who challenged his decisions. called them “cowards”.
Despite attempts, Rutte was unable to mobilize the American president to expand support for Ukraine. Nor stop the military campaign against Iran.
European allies therefore question whether the strategy is working. According to Bloombergthe secretary general faces criticism for his position considered excessively deferential towards Trump. The president continues to threaten to leave the alliance and maintains military operations against Iran, despite objections from NATO members.
At the center of this crisis is the principle of mutual defense, which establishes that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all. The mechanism was invoked only once, in 2001, after the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
Faced with disagreements over the conflict with Iran and threats of the US leaving, European allies question, in practice, to what extent this commitment remains valid.
PRESSURE TO REOPEN THE STRAIT OF ORMUZ
Since the beginning of joint attacks with Israel against Iran on February 28, Washington has been pressuring allies and other countries to contribute to the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, controlled by the Iranian regime. The war has already left thousands of deaths and caused severe instability in global markets.
Despite the pressure, European leaders signal caution. Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada stated, in a joint statement released on Thursday (19 March), that they intend to cooperate to guarantee safe passage in the region, but make any action conditional on the end of hostilities. With the exception of Japan, all other countries that sign the note are part of NATO. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the measure depended on the cessation of fighting.
After the European Union summit in Brussels, on Thursday (19 March), the President of France, Emmanuel Macron (Renaissance, center), called for a reduction in tensions. According to him, respecting international law and seeking de-escalation is “the best we can do”. Macron added: “I haven’t heard anyone here express a desire to enter into this conflict – quite the opposite”.
