Rubio: Washington should reconsider its participation in NATO

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Washington should reconsider its participation in NATO. He noted that the question of whether continued membership in the alliance is appropriate should be reviewed after the conclusion of the military operation in Iran.

“NATO is simply about us having troops in Europe to defend Europe. But when we need their help—not their help; we’re not asking them to conduct air strikes—when we need them to allow us to use their military bases, their answer is no? Then why are we in NATO? You have to ask that question. Why do we have billions, hundreds of billions of dollars over the years—trillions of dollars—and all of these American forces stationed in the region, if, in our time of need, we won’t be allowed to use those bases?” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News.

Following the blockade of the Strait in early March, Donald Trump criticised NATO allies for refusing to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz to protect against Iran. He also appealed to China, Japan, and South Korea, but received no response. The U.S. president stated that the United States would no longer assist these countries and urged them to “produce their own oil” and “learn to defend themselves.”

By Vugar Khalilov