WASHINGTON, March 22. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump did not provide a direct answer when asked about the possibility of the United States relinquishing the role of commander-in-chief of NATO's forces in Europe, a position held exclusively by American generals since 1951.
"NATO was gone until I came along," Trump said while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House along with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. He claimed that former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as his successor Mark Rutte, spoke out saying that "if it wasn't for Trump, you wouldn't even have a NATO." "Because we were paying the cost of almost all of the countries," the president continued.
"Because of what I did, hundreds of billions of dollars flowed into NATO by countries that just weren't paying. They were delinquent, they weren't paying their bills," Trump stressed. "NATO is solid. They're (allies - TASS) strong, but they have to treat us fairly. Because, look, without us, NATO is not the same," the White House host concluded.
Earlier, NBC reported, citing sources within the Pentagon, that the Trump administration was discussing the possibility of the United States relinquishing the post of commander-in-chief of NATO's military forces in Europe. According to the broadcaster, this initiative is part of a major reorganization of US combat commands aimed at reducing costs. NBC further stated that if the plan moves forward, it would mark a symbolic step that could be perceived as a US withdrawal from its leadership role in the alliance.