'I was disappointed': Trump tells Rutte NATO allies 'let down' US during Iran war
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'I was disappointed': Trump tells Rutte NATO allies 'let down' US during Iran war")
US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Trump said the United States expects greater loyalty from its NATO allies, arguing that Washington already provides extensive military support and maintains a large troop presence across Europe.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that several NATO allies had failed to support Washington during its war against Iran, telling NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that he was disappointed by their stance.
Speaking during a meeting with Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump said, "We were let down. We didn't need help on this at all. We demolished (Iran) literally in the first week, but it would have been nice if they had said, 'We'd like to help.'"
The US president singled out a number of alliance members for criticism, arguing that they were unwilling to contribute enough to collective security efforts.
“Spain is a horror show. Spain is terrible. I was disappointed with Italy. I was disappointed with the UK. We were disappointed with Germany and France. We’re disappointed with most of them. They don’t want to pay anything. They think they’re in for a free ride."
When asked what he expected from NATO partners, Trump replied, “I just want the loyalty. We don’t need their money, we don’t need anything. We have the most powerful military in the world by far."
“But I just want loyalty. You know, we’re so loyal to them. We’re always fighting for them! We have thousands of troops all over Europe."
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Rutte defends NATO allies
Rutte rejected the suggestion that European allies had failed to support the United States, pointing to the role of American military assets operating from bases across Europe during the conflict.
“First of all, about the nuclear capability Iran was getting its hands on…it would have been a threat to the region and the whole world. They were very close to getting their hands on the nuclear capability. You have seen all the leaders in the G7 applauding the fact that this nuclear capability has been degraded… 4,000 to 5,000 US planes taking off from bases in Europe in the six weeks this war took place," Rutte said.
Following the meeting, the NATO chief told reporters that Trump remains "completely committed to the NATO alliance" and said the United States would "absolutely" defend Europe if it came under attack.
Trump's remarks come less than two weeks before leaders from NATO's 32 member states gather for a summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8.
The United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28. Trump did not consult NATO before the operation, and several European allies questioned the need for military action.
Trump hints at possible F-35 breakthrough for Turkey
Trump also hinted at a possible move on Turkey's access to F-35 fighter jets. The US president said his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, would be "very happy" during his visit to Ankara for next month's NATO summit, suggesting a potentially favourable decision on the issue.
"I'm going to probably do something that's going to make him very happy," Trump said when asked whether he planned to grant Erdogan's request for the advanced fighter aircraft.
The F-35 is a stealth combat jet developed by the United States in partnership with several NATO allies under the Joint Strike Fighter programme, which originally included Turkey.
However, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 programme in 2019 after Ankara proceeded with the purchase of a Russian missile defence system despite US objections.
