WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized NATO allies for not contributing to the war on Iran, calling their stance “a very foolish mistake.” Speaking at the White House during a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump said he was “surprised” by NATO’s position, despite what he described as agreement that confronting Iran was “a very important thing to do.” “So I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” he said, adding: “This was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.” Asked whether there would be repercussions for the alliance, Trump said there would be none, but warned that the situation was “not good for a partnership.” He also said that “everybody in the whole world should be very thankful” for the U.S. war effort, reiterating his disappointment with NATO and “a couple of other countries,” without naming them.WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized NATO allies for not contributing to the war on Iran, calling their stance “a very foolish mistake.” Speaking at the White House during a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump said he was “surprised” by NATO’s position, despite what he described as agreement that confronting Iran was “a very important thing to do.” “So I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” he said, adding: “This was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.” Asked whether there would be repercussions for the alliance, Trump said there would be none, but warned that the situation was “not good for a partnership.” He also said that “everybody in the whole world should be very thankful” for the U.S. war effort, reiterating his disappointment with NATO and “a couple of other countries,” without naming them.
