The Western Alliance was already fraying long before the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began earlier this month. But the collective refusal of European leaders to even entertain the idea of assisting the U.S. in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open – and their personal insults against President Donald Trump – may have fractured the relationship beyond repair.
As Iranian forces continue to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which 20-30 percent of all global crude oil flows, President Trump has called on European nations to form an international coalition to help reopen the strait. But the response from European leaders has been silence in some cases and outright defiance in others.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to send warships to the region and stated that Britain will not be drawn into a “wider war,” along with refusing to allow U.S. forces to use British bases for offensive strikes. Germany also refused any military involvement, stating, “this is not our war, we have not started it.” French President Emmanuel Macron likewise declined to send assistance to help reopen the strait. Even Italy, under the leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – widely considered a Trump ally – has stated that it will not get involved.
During a meeting with Ireland’s taoiseach in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump expressed his frustration at NATO member states for refusing to devote resources to the military effort, particularly reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” Trump said. “And I’ve long said that I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So, this was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.”
Trump has every reason to be upset – and the American people should be too.
Once again, Europe is smugly pretending as if it has no dog in this fight. Once again, European governments are acting as if their very existence is not built upon American tax dollars, safeguarded by the American military, and propped up by the American economy.
Starmer and his European counterparts appear to miss the critical threat that the Strait of Hormuz being closed poses to their economies. Because oil is a global market, the supply crunch is driving up fuel costs in the United States. But thanks to President Trump, there is no risk of shortages. America is energy independent, and we produce all the fuel we need here at home.
The same cannot be said for Europe, which relies on oil from the Middle East. U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are thus ultimately benefitting European nations the most. Despite this fact, Britain recalled its last minesweeper from the Gulf region just days before the U.S. strikes began.
European leaders suggesting that Iran is “not their fight” only adds insult to injury. Was it America’s fight when U.S. taxpayers funded the Marshall Plan to stop the march of communism and save Germany from becoming a Soviet puppet state? Was it America’s fight when Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act and shipped military aid to Britain when it was under siege by Nazi Germany?
Perhaps NATO member states don’t think it’s justified to risk the lives of their own citizens for this conflict. Fine. But flatly refusing to assist at all and then publicly defying President Trump is not the respect Americans deserve from their allies.
Moreover, as Trump has correctly pointed out many times, American taxpayers have effectively subsidized the European welfare state for the better part of a century through defense spending. American troops and air power kept the Soviet Union and later Russia at bay.
What the world is now witnessing may not be just another tiff between longtime allies. It may be the beginning of a permanent breakup of the Western Alliance. The rift that has emerged in recent years goes beyond merely disagreement over foreign policy and into deeper issues of culture and values. Europe, which gave rise to free-market capitalism, modern democracy, and the Enlightenment ideas that formed the seeds of the American Revolution, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, has now largely abandoned those principles. European governments censor their own citizens and imprison anyone who speaks out while sabotaging their own economies in pursuit of ever-more bloated welfare regimes.
Meanwhile, even as birth rates for native-born Europeans collapse, migrants continue to pour in and destroy native European cultures. Muhammed is now the most popular baby name in England and Wales. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is a first-generation Brit whose parents moved there from Pakistan. Islam is by far the fastest growing religion in Europe.
The political realities of this demographic shift could well be at play in Europe’s refusal to assist the United States now. The rapid Islamization of the European population means that European governments may suddenly be more hesitant to move against Islamic nations – even the world’s leading state sponsor of terror.
If it is indeed the case that we are witnessing the decline of the alliance that won World War II, defeated the Soviet Union, and built the modern world, it would be bad for the United States, but even worse for Europe. Whatever the outcome, Europeans will have no one to blame but themselves.
Shane Harris is the Editor-in-Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
Time to leave NATO, kick the UN out of NYC and leave Europe to suffer. Our nation also needs to wake up since the Democrats opened the border for 4 years and are fighting against the removal of illegals and terrorists. Islamic fanatics continue their plan to take over the world, and they are slowly succeeding against those nations who remain asleep.
I agree with Max, President Trump needs to tell the wimpy NATO “you’re fired” and boot the communist UN off of US soil. Both are USELESS, and they clearly hate the United States of America.
As usual the NATO Nations want the United States to do the heavy lifting and pay all the bills. In the meantime they pay nothing for their defense and fun all their money into socialism. And then the Democrats want us to be like them. Like the other people posting here I think we need to tell them to go pound sand we can do it by ourselves and kick the UN out of this country. And I can’t resist getting my two bills worth in about having a Democrat party declared as a domestic terrorist organization because they are.
It is quite true that you get back in relationship to what you give. The United States should keep the refusal of our “allies” [who it has pulled out of the fire many times in the past] to help us very much in mind when they come begging for help in the future..Europeans, with only a few exceptions, have turned away from the values that built Western Civilization. Let them sink by themselves if this is their attitude. Let us see what happens when the ingrates must fend for themselves.
Thats the only way to say it-they are cowards. The next time tanks roll in, bombers drop bombs into these European countries, the US should just shrug and say fend for yourselves. As a veteran stationed in Europe during the Cold War, we were prepared to die. No more. Let Europe figure out what they will do and the US should just stay out-no more defending Europe against any aggression. We have given enough.
Europe because of its large muslim immigration population will have riots and retribution against their western governments if they support military action against a muslim nation. Which in turn means NATO is effectively dead.
guess it is time to bring our troops home from europe. they are no longer our allies. when they are taken over again we should not be there
They sure don’t mind asking the United States for help when their backs are to the wall. And they’ll do it again and the U.S. will respond because that’s what we do when others are in need. But if that should happen again it will be more like the Crusades since we will be fighting against Islam. Ever since the advent of the European Union the nations of Europe have become weak and capitulating. No longer are they nations with sovereignty and pride. They’ve adopted a “please don’t hurt me” attitude and we know how well that works against playground bullies. They need to wake up and stand up and be counted for they are heading for a future where they will either be totally taken over by radical Islam or decide to fight back and guess who they will call upon to help with that. It won’t be our war but we will be there for them, even when we can’t count on them to be there for us. Because that’s the kind of people we are. Proud to be an American.
We should have left NATO and the United Nations decades ago . Wake-up and smell the coffee , as a country we are on our own .
There is something here that nobody has mentioned !!!!!! So much of western Europe is becoming controlled by Islamic people !!! They will at some point become radicalized !!!!! So tell me , how many nuclear bombs are in western Europe ???? Anybody concerned ?????
This works something like the “group projects” some teachers assign. One or two people do ALL THE WORK and the slouches get the same grade for doing NOTHING! Starmer leads a nation which has already kowtowed to the Islamists and who let Muslim rape gangs assault white girls for years with no consequences! The mayor of London is an Islamist! How LOW can they go?
Within 48 hours of President Trumps comments on the failure of European nations to help our country, the whole lot of them somehow came to a totally different conclusion and said they will help ! The stupid pill they all took must have worn off.
I am waiting to hear “See ya later, NATO. When Putin or some Ayatollah comes knocking, don’t call us, cuz we won’t be there for ya AGAIN.” That’ll be music to my ears.
Remember all this when they expect us to export our fuel to them.
The US should pull all support for Ukraine. Yes, the Russians will take over and it will be catastrophic for the Ukrainians. It will also remind the Europeans what Russia is capable and willing to do without the US as a deterrent.
We’ve supplied Europe’s defense since the end of WWII. They’ve used that money saved to fund socialized health care for their own, while not paying their share in either NATO or the UN. Two organizations that now seem obsolete and a waste of our support.
Europe is turning to complete socialism and suppression of freedom. They are quickly being taken over by Islam. At some point, we need to ask ourselves what we still have in common and why are we supplementing them so much?
The USA forces just made the entire PLANET a safer place! I’m sick of NATO and the UN. We need to get OUT of NATO and watch the EU crumble. Do they not realize that Iran already had missiles capable of striking Europe? The EU countries wouldn’t even BE THERE if it weren’t for us. At a minimum they’d all speak German now. Trump is the ONLY President that will get us out.
And, really tired of talks on cost of this “war.” We’ve barely used what the Minnesota fraudsters took so far..and that was just the daycare “industry.” Congress better approve the funding.
Time to leave NATO & UN
NO Good
I hope WE NEVER assist these allies when they call for help. This was a good test and now we know where they stand.
Europe would be in SAD SHAPE if we were to get out of NATO!
We have coddled NATO long enough, it’s time for them to “leave the nest!”
Because a LARGE percentage of Europe and Great Britain have been overwhelmed by Muslims and are now largely countries ruled by Islam, I have no doubt that they will side with the “Motherland” and not with sanity.
If they don’t come around and start kicking Islamic people out of their countries, there will come a day when the US will no longer be able to call them allies.
I really struggle to see the use of NATO. Having served during the Cold War I can say the support was scarce during that period. We maintained many expensive bases in Europe and two aircraft carrier based battle groups in the Med at all times! Seldom had any NATO ships on watch with us!
Now we have the EU and those countries seem more remote from our interests. President has taken flak for forcing those members to increase their military expenditure towards the levels required by treaty. Amazing no other administration did that! We have spent fortunes covering NATO since WWII. Most of those countries are hard LEFT now. We should reconsider our commitment now!
The inability for European nations to stand up to islamic control is very telling. When england allowed sharia courts and no-go zones in their country, it conceded the takeover of their country. islam has a 100-year goal to take over Europe, england and the ‘western’ world. They are in about year 70. America needs to wake up quickly and see that Europe is lost, england is lost and we are the last stand. President Trump is very spot on in this….because the threat from them has been ongoing for decades. Infiltration and serious intentional procreation of islamists has not just begun, it has happened for 7 decades. Look around you. Look at our congress for the radical ‘squad’ members and asked ‘ how was that allowed?’ WE allowed it. WE have been apathetic and uncaring because the evil didn’t touch us. But, it is now…daily in some form and violently in others. When the time comes, the call will go out and there will be no more subleties…it will be complete takeover. Thank God Texas voted against the allowing of sharia courts/laws, even though these communities practice it anyway. Wake up America!!!!
Germany also refused any military involvement, stating, “this is not our war, we have not started it.” Never again should the U.S. come to the rescue of the hapless EU nations or Britain. They made their bed with the Middle Easterners they allowed to swamp their nations and takeover their cultures and traditions. They do not even now recognize what has happened to them during the past 10-15 years of ineptitude when Angela Merkel opened the gates to the Western nations w/o vetting the hoards who entered nor required assimilation. Quite the opposite! We should not pay the dues for NATO as we’ve been doing while they absorb OUR money and refuse to contribute their fair share. We see who our real allies are — and it is NOT the EU.
What western alliance? It’s the U. S. and a bunch of leeches.Europe needs to take care of itself. Same with Canada. Let Europe go back to their history of a war every 30 years or so. Why are we still propping those people up 80 years after WWII ended? The Marshall plan wasn’t supposed to go on forever!
I believe that if these two organizations are going to be apart of the team of NATO and the UN they are going to have to follow some new rules. Since America pays for the lodging in New York the so-called diplomats are going to have to contribute a stipend to live there. And all Embassies in the US will not receive special treatment. No more military protections unless a fee is paid directly to the service. I know that I am just shooting off my disdain for cheaters and liars but DJT ais by far the hardest working and best PRESIDENT in my lifetime. And I have believed for along time that NATO and the UN should be gone. Any way thanks for letting me rant. I am a patriot.
The EU better keep its fingers crossed until Jan 2029… that they don’t need us. If and when they call, just let it ring Mr President!
I’ve thought for ears that NATO should have been disbanded when the Soviet Union broke apart. Let the Europeans deal with their own affairs, if they’re able.
The alliance has been fracturing for decades. The European Union has been the cause of that. As long as America keeps them safe like financing the war in the Ukraine the European leaders are happy to take the riches their country creates. Let America keep us safe. They are not sending their people to die. Americans can do that. The European Union are ungrateful dictators. Who are globalizing their countries. Muslims have overrun many countries. And are in their parliaments as politicians, running major cities. And destroying the culture wherever they go. In the Netherlands the so called asylum seekers are demanding that the traditional Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet be banned. Because it’s racist. For hundreds of years we have celebrated this Tradition. No more. The Muslims have taken over the culture and the government supports them. They are running out of housing for the thousands of “asylum Seekers” that are coming into the country. Many cities don’t want to house them so the govt is thinking about placing them with people who have a bedroom free. They were talking here about the same thing. The dems will push this plan forward once they are in power again. The freedom granted us under the constitution will be eliminated. The European Union is following the plans of the WEF like the democrats are here in America. Trump is the only one that sees the problem with that. People want to have a culture and traditions. They want to belong to something. Only the dems have taken that away in part by dissing religion, patriotism and pride in America. They hate America as it is now. They want a global America with China in charge. Only China will start taking first Taiwan then Korea. Japan then the America’s till finally Europe. I am so glad I won’t experience this in my life, I am about to exit it but our grandchildren and their children will suffer the collapse of this world.
Commenting from England. Keir Starmer suggesting that ‘Britain backs’ his decision is simply not true. The British (non m u s l i m) are appalled at the British leader’s stance. I, along with most, do not agree with him. It would be better for the UK to have POTUS Trump as our leader than the one we have. President Trump is absolutely right ‘Starmer is definitely not ‘Churchill’. All Gratitude goes to America and Israel. God Bless both your nations and may He have mercy on ours!!
Please, the EU and NATO will never support the US, and it’s time for us to recognize that, cut our losses, and move on. When the chips are down, the USA will only have the USA to rely on. We need to take care of our own and do what is in OUR best interest. I’m sick and tired of providing aid and support to other countries in this world, only to have them crap on us and chant “death to America” when it suits them.
As for NATO, they, and the United Nations, have lived off the American Citizens for way too long. They’ve outlived their usefulness and have become a bastion of America-hating cretins, and the world’s worst human rights violators, history has ever seen. It’s time for us to stop funding them and kick them OUT of the US. Why are we supporting any organization or country that hates America and its Citizens, on any level? I resent the heck out of our tax dollars being used to support this filth.
It is NOT that the Europeans don’t think that it is their fight.
The fact is, why they are refusing to help the USA with Iran is that
the European politicians in Europe are terrified of what the millions of MUSLIM “migrants”(an invading army), that they have invited in, might start creating more violent terrorist incidents than they are already doing, if they help the USA in any way – and that might cause the European Liberal Sheeple they rule to rebel and vote them out of their nice cushy jobs, and worse off the “A” list party circuit.
Muslims’ avowed goal is a European Caliphate, and Europe helping the USA defeat Iran might give them the push to actively try to take over the governments by force . . . . . . . . .
You know, just like they once did in Iran 50+ years ago
they love our troops and money. bowed down to islam made them cowards.
It’s past time for the US to get out of NATO and the UN – and kick the UN out of our country! It’s also way past time to stop sending our money and our military to Europe to support them and protect them – they certainly don’t APPRECIATE our help. It’s time for us to start taking care of our own people instead of these ungrateful leeches!
It is amazing how memories are erased with time. It is like the European nations and NATO are suffering from Dementia! Thought we were allies forever because of WWI and WWII. So much for that thought! Too many years of comfort and tourism, that with the Strait being blocked, wonder how that will work for their economy and creature comforts!
We have for a very long time provided protection and subsidized the Europeans on most all levels of their economies. I agree our help was needed for the first ten to fifteen years after 1945. However, that assistance should have ended and we should have pushed the Europeans to do more for themselves. Instead, they became used to what we did for them. partly our fault. We did not have an administration or president that looked out for ourselves more than others. I’ve always believed that, in order for us, as individuals or as a nation, to assist and help others, we, as individuals or nation, need to be at our best in order to provide that assistance. How can I help others when I am not doing well myself?
I have read the article a many comments. I live by faith that God is all powerful and is working His plan. All that we do as humans is fatally flawed and has been since the beginning. We have God’s favor for the moment but it cannot last in a culture that is anti-God.
NATO can’t be a one way street. If they won’t come to our aid they can hit the road without our help!
The American DoD gives numbers for this: about 250.000 US soldiers died in the European theather, while 160.000 soldiers died in the Pacific theather. So in absolute numbers the war in Europe was deadlier. The US deployed some 2.4 million troops to Europe, so casualty rate of just over 10%.
Typical.
All the mice want a bell tied to the cat, but when somebody tries it and looks for support, the mice run away.
Exit the UN, banish it from NYC and stop contributing to countries who bow to Islam and forsake the US despite the fact they are only safe because of the US, even Britain, France and Germany will not back their rescuers, Let them fend for themselves !
As I have always said: We are the NATO nations allies but they are not, and almost never have been, our ally. If they will not help defend what is clearly in their own interest, does anyone for one second think they would come to our aid if we were attacked by China or North Korea without a threat to them? Of course they would not. Flip that and say Russia invaded Estonia and see how quick American forces would be there. I now believe it is time for us to get out of NATO and let the ET’s fend for themselves. It is long past time for us to get out of the UN. And as far as the Straight of Hormoz is concerned, we should stop protecting it. It is not our fight as we don’t need that oil. We should be concentrating ONLY on what is in US interests, like Iran’s missiles, nuclear ambitions and support of terrorist.
NO OIL FOR THESE SO CALLED ALLIES, DEFEND YOUSELVES!
Does anything really surprise us any more, Not really.
The European countries showing their cowardice are the ones that have already been taken over by Islamists.
Get us out of nato
Having been a member of NATO Forces while at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) for a few years, I have to point out that the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) from the time of GEN Dwight D. Eisenhower has always been an American. I’m assuming that it is as it was when I was there, SACEUR is also CINCEUR (Commander in Chief of the American forces in Europe), a dual-hatted position. I’m surprised that SACEUR isn’t able to apply more pressure to our allied nations to support the keeping of the Strait open. Perhaps the removal of the US military from bases in UK would help encourage the British cooperation – or maybe they still feel that the three things wrong with Americans in Old Blighty are that they are (1) Overpaid (2) Oversexed and (3) Over here.
This is clearly what happens We as Nations do not enforce our boarders!
What about the fact that President Trump had just finished castigating the European Union, and then turned around and wanted their help? Seems to me that’s part of their reason for the snub. And, as for ending the conflict when Trump “feels it in his bones”, that doesn’t make me feel very secure about the objectives for the conflict. I agree Iran should never be allowed to make nukes, but I also think President Trump needs to think through his actions. Seems like lately he’ll make a decision, then 24 hrs later, wants to do just the opposite! I worry that we’ll end up in a war with Russia, China and N. Korea helping Iran.
Lets see, we saved their butts in WWI and WWII and have been there for them in several other ways. But now when they could step up in order to get their oil supplies back up to a sustainable level they sit back and say nope, not us.