'We remember': Trump rips 'freeloading' NATO allies for refusing to help America when needed

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of NATO allies, reminding them that the United States remembers times it asked for support but did not get it.

Trump made it clear made it clear that America’s commitment to help other countries is not a given. Speaking about NATO, he delivered one of his toughest messages to the alliance since returning to office.

Trump says NATO allies were not there for America

"Countries, when they need help, they call America. I don't always give it, because sometimes they haven't been very good to us," Trump said during the remarks, which quickly circulated widely online.

"You know, NATO wasn't there for us. NATO was NOT there for us. We pay all that money for so many decades. Money, money, money," Trump said.

"We say, yeah, give us a hand. 'Well, sir, we'd rather not.' But we remember."

Trump's recent attack on NATO allies echoed the frustration he aired at the Ankara summit last month.

There, he did not hide his disappointment with NATO after the UK, Germany, Italy, and France refused to back US military action against Iran, even though the US has funded European defense for years through its NATO contributions.

During the summit, Trump admitted he almost skipped it entirely.

If not for his personal connection with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he said, he might not have gone at all. He called out Turkey as one of the few allies truly backing American interests.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also conceded that Trump had a point. Merz said US presidents had politely asked Europe to do more for a long time, only to be ignored. "I cannot blame him," Merz said.

Trump has long demanded NATO allies pay more

Trump's criticism of NATO burden-sharing can be traced back to his first term, during which he on several occasions threatened to pull back its military commitments from allies that did not meet the alliance's defense spending targets.

Since then, a number of NATO members have increased their contributions, with Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states among those that have moved considerably toward or beyond the 2% of GDP figure that for a long time was the alliance's standard.

The alliance then increased its target to 5% of GDP, a figure that currently few member countries achieve and which has still caused tension between Washington and several European capitals.

Trump targets NATO allies over Iran operations

When Trump made those comments, US forces were still carrying out operations in the wider Middle East area after the ongoing series of strikes against Iran.

A number of European countries that are members of NATO either refused to allow the United States access to their airspace or declined to take part in or publicly support the campaign.

Trump in particular criticized Spain, which had blocked US military flights from using its airspace and refused to permit access to military bases that it shares with the United States. He threatened to stop trade with Madrid and later stated that Spain had agreed to raise its NATO contributions.