European allies are losing hope of keeping America in NATO as Donald Trump threatens to leave the alliance. The US president has grown increasingly hostile towards European allies, furious at their refusal to help America re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
Several European countries have made American operations in the Middle East more difficult, with Spain closing its bases and airspace to American forces attacking Iran. France has been more measured, but Mr Trump has lashed out at France's 'very unhelpful' refusal to let some American military aircraft fly over its territory.
Britain, having initially refused to let American forces use its bases, now permits it, but only to protect neighbouring countries from Iran's retaliation. Italy, another defence-spending laggard, reportedly stopped some American planes from using a base in Sicily.
Mr Trump has toyed with the idea of withdrawing from NATO since his first term, but last year he cast himself as the alliance's saviour by convincing allies to spend at least 5% of GDP on defence and related infrastructure. Relations later soured again as Mr Trump wooed Russia.
European officials are worried that Mr Trump's threat to leave NATO could cripple the alliance, even if he doesn't formally leave. They are calling for strengthening their military capacity and focusing on building the European pillar of NATO.
Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary-general, is due to visit Washington on April 8th to try to soothe relations. Britain convened a video conference of about 40 countries on April 2nd—without America—to discuss ways of increasing political and economic pressure on Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
