The Trump White House is mulling ways to 'punish' NATO allies for not stepping up to support the US Iran campaign, and for staying on the sidelines after Trump's repeat appeals to create a coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This could include pulling protective American forces, and US military hardware, from NATO partner countries. It would impact "certain" countries, reports say.
The Wall Street Journal writes in a fresh Wednesday report, "The proposal would involve moving U.S. troops out of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries deemed unhelpful to the Iran war effort and station them in countries that were more supportive of the U.S. military campaign. The proposal would fall far short of President Trump’s recent threats to fully withdraw the U.S. from the alliance, which by law he can’t do without Congress."
According to more, "The plan, which has circulated and gained support among senior administration officials in recent weeks, is early in conception and one of several the White House is discussing to punish NATO."
This isn't the first time that Trump has heaped wrath on NATO and threatened repercussions for US allies, but the Iran conflict certainly marks Trump at his most insistent on this issue of NATO in effect 'not returning the favor' after years and decades of the US being the alliance's biggest single funder.
"It's quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the last six weeks when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Wednesday briefing.
She previewed Trump plans to have a very "frank and candid conversation" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. This could mean redeployment elsewhere in the globe - or else bringing them home - for tens of thousands of US troops stationed throughout Europe:
The U.S. has around 84,000 troops stationed across Europe, though the exact number varies from military exercises and rotational deployments. U.S. bases in Europe serve as a critical hub of global U.S. military operations, as well as provide an economic boon to the host country through investment. Bases in Eastern Europe also serve as a deterrent against Russia.
The irony in all this is that there are elements among Trump's MAGA base that would welcome this move. They might hail any development which lessens America's penchant for playing the 'police force' of the globe and of Europe.
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Also, removing American soldiers from Europe could actually calm tensions with Russia over Ukraine. However, it remains unlikely that Washington would actually draw down from it's 'eastern flank' posture.
When Poland made clear it would not lend its Patriot systems for the Middle East conflict, the Trump admin did not pile on much pressure after that, and seemed to understand the reality of the situation. It could be that the NATO allies are simply putting their nations' interests first, given the Iran war has not gone as planned.