How Trump Provoked Such a Harsh Reaction from Petr Pavel?
U.S. President Donald Trump has undermined trust in NATO more than Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has over many years. Such actions threaten the principles of the Alliance’s collective defense.
This was stated by Czech President Petr Pavel, as reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing The Guardian.
Also read: Europe is talking about an EU army after threats from the U.S. to withdraw from NATO
A Threat to Alliance Unity
According to the publication, speaking at Charles University, Petr Pavel emphasized that NATO is based on deterrence and the readiness to act as a unified whole. In his opinion, doubts about the solidarity of the bloc’s members undermine its core role.
“It must be said that Donald Trump has done more to reduce trust in the alliance in the past few weeks than Vladimir Putin has done over many years. This is certainly not good news,” the Czech leader emphasized.
Disputes Regarding Operations Outside NATO
Pavel called Trump’s criticism regarding the lack of support from allies in conflicts in the Middle East “unfair.” He noted that NATO is a defensive alliance and is not obligated to automatically assist in wars outside its territory.
According to the president, European partners were not initially informed about the objectives of the operations, and when the situation began to develop unexpectedly, Trump expressed disappointment over the lack of assistance in the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, in the Czech Republic, a dispute continues between President Pavel and Foreign Minister Petr Mačínka. They cannot reach an agreement on who will represent the country at the NATO summit in Ankara in June.
A Rift in U.S.-European Relations
Recall that recently, former British national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts stated that London should reconsider its approach to cooperation with the U.S. and abandon illusions about a “special partnership,” as the war with Iran has seriously undermined trust between the countries.
Additionally, Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to European allies, demanding that they take full responsibility for security in the Strait of Hormuz after the conclusion of hostilities in Iran.
Furthermore, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, after meeting with the U.S. president, reported that Trump is “clearly disappointed” by the Alliance’s refusal to take direct part in the war against Iran, which led to public outbursts of anger from the American leader.
Source: rbc.ua +rel=”nofollow”
