'REMEMBER THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE...': Trump blasts NATO after closed-door meeting with Rutte, revives Greenland threat

Hours after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived at the White House on Wednesday (Apr 8) for what officials described as a "frank" discussion, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to blast the alliance. "NATO WASN'T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON'T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN," he wrote. The vital meeting came amid fears that the POTUS' outrage over NATO allies' steadfast refusal to join his war against Iran could prompt him to pull the United States out of the nearly eight-decade-old alliance.

'NATO WASN'T THERE'

In his signature all-caps post on Truth Social, Trump slammed the alliance and wrote, "NATO WASN'T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON'T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN," he wrote. Then, with no further context: "REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!"

Before the Iran war took over headlines, Trump's designs on the Danish Arctic territory had been NATO's most pressing headache. Its sudden reappearance — unprompted, the day after a fragile US-Iran ceasefire — was a reminder that the Greenland ambition never really went away.

In recent days, Trump has been openly contemptuous of NATO's response to the Iran war, calling the alliance a "paper tiger" for refusing to take a leading role in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and for limiting American forces' use of bases on allied territory. He also mounted personal attacks against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comparing him to Winston Churchill and dismissing Britain's aircraft carriers as "toys."

Will the US exit NATO?

The meeting itself produced no public resolution on the question everyone came to answer: whether Trump is seriously considering pulling the United States out of NATO. However, a NATO spokesperson, in a statement on X, said that the Rutte and Trump "had a frank discussion on a range of issues related to our shared security, including in the context of Iran."

"The Secretary General underscored the importance of Allies continuing to step up to deliver a stronger, fairer Alliance," added the spokesperson.

Before the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that withdrawal was "something the president has discussed" and would be discussing with the NATO Secretary General. Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, has built a reputation for managing Trump through a combination of flattery and strategic patience. Last year, he made headlines for calling Trump "daddy" at a summit.

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