Trump To Discuss Possible NATO Exit At Meeting With Alliance Chief Rutte: White House

Last Updated:April 09, 2026, 02:44 IST

Trump may discuss possible US exit from NATO with alliance chief Rutte, amid frustration over allies' Iran war response.

US President Donald Trump is likely to discuss the possibility of Washington leaving NATO during a meeting with alliance chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday, the White House said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the US President has been frustrated with NATO partners, accusing them of “turning their back" on the American people during the ongoing war with Iran.

“It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense," Leavitt said while addressing a press briefing.

The meeting comes just a day after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, following weeks of heightened conflict that also strained relations within the 77-year-old military alliance.

Trump has expressed anger over what he sees as a lack of support from NATO allies during the Iran crisis, particularly around securing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.

While Trump and Rutte have maintained a generally warm relationship, the latest developments have raised fresh questions about the future of US participation in NATO, which was established after World War II to counter security threats in Europe.

Under NATO’s founding treaty, any member country can leave the alliance by providing formal notice, with withdrawal taking effect after one year.

According to Article 13 of the The North Atlantic Treaty, “After the Treaty has been in force for twenty years, any Party may cease to be a Party one year after its notice of denunciation has been given to the Government of the United States of America, which will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each notice of denunciation."

However, in the United States, the President cannot unilaterally pull out of NATO without approval from Congress or the Senate, as mandated under current law.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 goes into details about it in Subtitle H–Limitation on Withdrawal From NATO.

It states “Subtitle H prohibits the President from withdrawing from NATO by suspending, terminating, denouncing, or withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty except (1) by and with the advice and consent of the Senate with two-thirds of the Senators present concurring, or (2) pursuant to an act of Congress."

Even so, as commander-in-chief, the President retains authority over troop deployments, meaning a reduction or withdrawal of US forces could significantly impact NATO’s military capabilities without a formal exit.

News world Trump To Discuss Possible NATO Exit At Meeting With Alliance Chief Rutte: White House

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