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“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 Wednesday.
The United States currently maintains roughly 84,000 troops stationed across multiple European countries, forming a key part of NATO’s defense posture. However, under the conceptual plan described in the report, some of those deployments could be reshuffled. One possibility under consideration reportedly includes scaling back or closing certain U.S. facilities in countries such as Spain or Germany, depending on future diplomatic and strategic assessments.
The reported friction stems from differing levels of cooperation among NATO members during the Iran-related military operations. Some countries allegedly placed restrictions on U.S. military logistics, including airspace access and base usage.
Spain and Italy were identified as having refused permission for American aircraft involved in the operation to use their bases and airspace. France, meanwhile, reportedly limited overflight permissions for aircraft directly tied to the strikes against Iran.
At the same time, other NATO members were described as more cooperative. Countries such as Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Greece were cited as having provided stronger logistical or operational support to the United States during the conflict, according to the report.
President Donald Trump himself publicly expressed frustration with the alliance’s response. Speaking earlier this week, he delivered unusually blunt criticism of NATO’s actions during the crisis.
Trump on Monday said he was “very disappointed” with NATO and that their refusal to back America was “a mark on NATO that will never disappear.”
Behind the scenes, diplomatic conversations have reportedly continued between Washington and NATO leadership. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Trump on Wednesday, according to The New York Times, in an effort to address rising tensions and clarify allied positions.
Rutte acknowledged Trump’s frustration while also defending the broader alliance contributions from Europe.
“He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte said.
“But at the same time, I was also able to point to the fact that the large majority of European nations has been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they live up to the commitments,” he said.
“It’s, therefore, a nuanced picture.”
When asked whether Trump had threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO entirely, Rutte downplayed the idea of an ultimatum, describing the exchange as frank but diplomatic.
Asked if Trump threatened to leave NATO, Rutte said, “It was a very open discussion. He clearly told me what he thought of what happened over the last couple of weeks.”
The White House has also reinforced Trump’s dissatisfaction. Leavitt cited the president’s blunt assessment of allied performance during the Iran conflict.
Leavitt quoted Trump as saying of NATO: “They were tested, and they failed,” during the Iran war, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Trump has continued voicing frustration on social media, where his comments have amplified the dispute and drawn global attention. On Truth Social, he posted a sharply worded message that underscored his criticism of the alliance and its members.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” Trump posted on Wednesday.
As discussions continue behind closed doors, the potential repositioning of U.S. forces signals that Washington’s expectations of NATO allies may be entering a more hardline phase—one that could reshape troop deployments and diplomatic relations across Europe in the months ahead.
