By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined on Tuesday to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO's collective defense, saying that would be up to President Donald Trump after key European allies refused to stand with the United States in the war against Iran.
The remarks by Hegseth at a Pentagon briefing were extraordinary, given that collective defense lies at the heart of the NATO alliance, which was formed in 1949 with the primary aim of countering the risk of Soviet attack on allied territory.
Any signal by the United States that it might not be willing to defend NATO allies in the event of attack by Russia or another adversary could severely weaken the alliance even if Trump opts against withdrawing from it altogether, something that may require consent by Congress.
Asked by Reuters at a news briefing if the United States is still committed to NATO's collective defense, Hegseth said: "As far as NATO is concerned, that's a decision that will be left to the president. But I'll just say a lot has been laid bare."
In apparent reference to tensions with NATO allies France, Italy, Spain and Britain, Hegseth said "when we ask for additional assistance or simple access, basing and overflight, we get questions or roadblocks or hesitations."
"You don't have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them. (Trump is) simply pointing that out, and ultimately, it'll be his decision of what that looks like," Hegseth said.
Experts have long warned that remarks suggesting that the United States might not honor its NATO commitments could encourage Russia to test NATO members' readiness to enforce the alliance's Article 5, which states an armed attack against one member state is an attack on all.
The Iran war has exacerbated tensions between the United States and Europe that have mounted since the start of Trump's second term in office last year over everything from Trump's review of their $2 trillion trading relationship to his demands for ownership of Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
Europe is also nervously watching Trump's efforts to broker an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, with some senior European officials concerned Trump appears to support an agreement in Moscow's favor.
France has refused to allow Israel to use its airspace for a resupply flight carrying American weapons being used in the war against Iran, and Italy denied permission for U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before heading to the Middle East, sources told Reuters. Spain said publicly on Monday it had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in attacks on Iran.
Trump has also repeatedly blasted Britain, America's closest European ally, for not joining the United States when it launched the war. On Tuesday, he singled out Britain in a social media post where he said securing the Strait of Hormuz, now blocked by Iran, would be left to countries who needed Middle Eastern oil.
"You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!"
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Alistair Bell and Don Durfee)
