Allies’ Political Differences Put Organization at Risk of Collapse - NATO Chief

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Existing disagreements between the United States and its allies within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on various issues, including climate and the Iran nuclear deal, jeopardize the organization’s unity, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"At the political level, the ties that bind us are under strain. There are real differences between the US and other allies over issues such as trade, climate change, and the Iran nuclear agreement. These disagreements are real and they won’t disappear overnight. Nowhere is it written in stone that the transatlantic bond will always thrive," Stoltenberg said in an opinion piece for the Guardian newspaper.

The NATO chief emphasized that the allies should realize that the organization ensured their security, and should work to preserve the alliance.

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The relations between the United States and its European allies deteriorated after US President Donald Trump took office in early 2017 and made several U-turns in the US foreign policy.

Particularly, Trump withdrew from the multilateral Paris climate accord, the Iran nuclear deal, and imposed tariffs on metal imports from the European Union at the outrage of EU officials.

Moreover, Trump has been criticizing EU member states for their failure to contribute to the NATO budget in line with the organization’s defense spending guidelines.