US President Donald Trump has warned European allies that the future of NATO could be in question if they do not support the United States in patrolling the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the head of the White House called on NATO member countries to do "everything necessary" to assist the US in this operation.
"We have an organization called NATO. We were not obligated to help them with Ukraine... But we helped them. Now we'll see if they're going to help us," Trump said.
He added that he has long warned that allies may not respond when the United States needs support.
"I've always said that we'll be there for them, but they may not be there for us. And I'm not even sure if they will be," the American president said.
Trump also warned that the lack of a positive response from Europe could have serious consequences for the future of NATO.
"If there is no answer or if the answer is negative, I think this will be very serious for the future of NATO," he stressed.
In the interview, Trump also said that China should contribute to this effort. Otherwise, he warned that he may cancel a planned trip to Beijing later this month.
