Trump reveals reason for considering "withdrawal from NATO": We want Greenland, but they don't want to give it. So I said "Bye-bye"!

U.S. President Trump on the 6th, at a White House press conference, responded to his remarks about “considering letting the U.S. withdraw from NATO,” saying that the fundamental reason for this decision is the issue involving Greenland.

In his remarks, Trump once again referred to NATO as a “paper tiger,” and revealed that NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg will hold a meeting with him on the 8th. He said plainly: “If you want to know the truth, it all started with Greenland. We want Greenland, and they don’t want to give it, so I’ll say, ‘bye-bye.’”

Besides NATO, Trump also singled out Japan, South Korea, and Australia for not helping. He also said that if you had informed Germany of the combat plans in advance, intelligence would have been leaked, “and the United States might not have been as successful as it is right now.”

According to available information, Greenland is the largest island in the world and an autonomous territory of Denmark. Since Trump returned to the White House last year, he has repeatedly floated the idea of obtaining Greenland on the grounds of “national security,” and at one point threatened that he would not rule out using force.

On April 1, local time, a reporter from China Media Group learned that, according to U.S. Department of Defense senior general Gregory M. Guillot, the U.S. is in negotiations with Denmark regarding obtaining the right to use three additional bases in Greenland, including two bases that had previously been abandoned by the U.S. military. If the negotiations are successfully concluded, this would mark the first time in decades that the United States has expanded its military presence on Greenland.

In recent times, many European countries have stated they do not want to be pulled into military actions by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. According to reports in foreign media, after NATO allies refused to help strike Iran, Trump is “seriously considering” having the United States withdraw from NATO.

After the U.S. launched military action against Iran, many European countries made it clear that they do not want to be involved in military operations. On March 30, the Spanish government decided to close its airspace to aircraft participating in military action against Iran, including prohibiting relevant U.S. military aircraft based in other European countries from flying over Spanish airspace. Italy has also recently refused to allow the U.S. military to use the Sigonella military base located in Sicily. In addition, according to information from Austria, on April 2 the Austrian Ministry of Defense announced that it had refused the United States’ “repeated” requests to not allow the U.S. to carry out military operations against Iran using Austrian airspace.

In addition, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have all said they will not get involved in the war, nor will they escort through the Strait of Hormuz during wartime.

On the 30th, British Prime Minister Starmer said that the United Kingdom will not be drawn into wars in the Middle East. That day, he made the remarks in Wolverhampton, England. He said: “This is not our war, and we won’t get involved in it.” He also emphasized: “No matter how much pressure there is, no matter who puts pressure on us—this is our decision.”

On March 27, German Chancellor Scholz said that if the goal of the U.S. and Israel’s military action against Iran is “regime change,” he does not think that goal can be achieved. On the same day, Scholz said he hopes the war ends soon, but that the U.S. and Israel are “getting deeper and deeper.” He doubts whether the U.S. and Israel have a strategy to end the fighting; if they do, he questioned whether they can successfully implement it.

Scholz said that the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East are “very direct,” and Germany is one of those who would bear the brunt. If a ceasefire agreement is reached, Germany could consider organizing joint military escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz with other parties, but that would require international authorization, as well as approval by the German Bundestag and a resolution by the government cabinet. However, as long as the fighting is still ongoing, for Germany this is “not an option.”

（Source: The Daily Economic News）