Economist editor says European leaders now fear a true NATO 'divorce' after Trump pullout threat

The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, said on Monday that European leaders are coming to terms with the possibility of a true "divorce" among NATO.

President Donald Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO over the alliance’s refusal to join his administration’s efforts in the Iran conflict, according to a report. The president, long a critic of the military alliance, which has been pivotal in maintaining global order since World War II, said reconsidering the matter was "beyond consideration."

His comments have come after European nations reportedly rejected Trump’s request that allies send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply travels. Iran has threatened or moved to restrict access to the strait in reaction to the U.S. offensive against Iranian targets, raising concerns about global energy markets and economic stability.

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Beddoes, speaking on an episode of CNN's "Global Public Square" with Fareed Zakaria, spoke about how European leaders are enraged by Trump's recent remarks.

"They‘re furious about being called cowards and other insults by the president of the United States when, remember, you know, the only time NATO‘s Article 5 has been invoked was after 9/11 and thousands of Europeans and NATO forces served with distinction in Afghanistan," she said.

This, she noted, is in addition to European leaders' concerns about their own energy needs as they heavily rely on fossil fuels from the Gulf.

"They see the impact on their economy. And on top of that, now they have the president of the United States and the secretary of state basically saying, you know, 'NATO is finished,'" she said.

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"I think there‘s a growing realization in Europe, even amongst those European countries that have always seen the glass half full and have always hoped that they can maintain some kind of special relationship with the United States, that this time something really might be different," Beddoes said.

The flare-up over Iran, she argued, is the latest, perhaps most serious, in a litany of warnings, ranging from Trump's calls for Europeans to pay for their own defense, which she said is a good idea, to tariffs, to "verbal attacks" on Greenland.

"I think there‘s a recognition in Europe that, you know, maybe this is a divorce," she said.