Germany plays down concerns over Trump threat to leave NATO

BERLIN

Germany on Wednesday sought to downplay concerns about possible tensions within NATO over US threats to leave the alliance.

Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told journalists in Berlin that Germany wants “to work toward a more objective debate,” adding that “such spirals of agitation do not help NATO.”

He was referring to reported remarks by US President Donald Trump, who said he is considering pulling the United States out of NATO after allies declined to support the Iran war.

The spokesperson stressed that "this is not the end of NATO," alluding to earlier comments by Trump suggesting the possible collapse of the Western military alliance.

Kornelius reiterated that Germany “remains committed to the NATO alliance.”

In an interview with The Telegraph earlier Wednesday, Trump called the alliance a “paper tiger.”

Asked whether he would reconsider US membership in NATO after the conflict, Trump said the issue is “beyond reconsideration.”

“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way,” he said.

NATO allies have shown reluctance to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route that typically carries about 20% of global oil shipments. Iran has effectively kept the strait closed for weeks, disrupting energy flows, driving up oil and gas prices, and raising concerns over a potential global recession.