Kemi Badenoch warns Trump over ‘gift’ to Russia as she condemns threat to quit Nato alliance
Kemi Badenoch has condemned Donald Trump’s threats to leave NATO as a ‘gift’ to Russia.
In some of his harshest criticism yet of the US President, the Conservative Party leader said the ‘fight’ within the military alliance would only benefit Vladimir Putin.
Mr Trump is angry at countries such as Britain and France that refuse to join America and Israel’s war against Iran.
Yesterday he declared that the failure of NATO, the collective defense organisation, to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz showed that it was a ‘paper tiger’.
The president said in an interview that it was more than just ‘rethinking’ whether the US should withdraw from the agreement.
But despite expectations that he would have more to say, he did not address the idea in his televised speech last night.
Kemi Badenoch condemns Donald Trump’s threats to leave NATO as a ‘gift’ to Russia
Mr Trump is furious with countries like Britain and France for refusing to join America and Israel’s war against Iran
It is less clear whether Mr. Trump could unilaterally withdraw from NATO, as a law has already been passed stating that the Senate must approve such a move in 2023.
Alarms about the consequences of war are growing Iran effectively blocked the Strait, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies normally pass, for more than a month.
Because the pass is so narrow, it is almost impossible to control it without forces on Iranian territory.
Due to the closure, fertilizer and aluminum supplies are also disrupted; food and a surprising variety of goods are also experiencing knock-on effects.
Keir Starmer is desperately trying to avoid directly criticizing Mr Trump, even though he has made it clear that Britain is not joining the war because there is no clear plan behind it. The Prime Minister insisted that NATO was critical to the security of the West.
Conservative Party leader Ms Badenoch told BBC Breakfast on Thursday: ‘I think we need to make sure we don’t give gifts to countries like Russia or Iran by making it look like there’s a split in the Western alliance.
‘President Trump’s words create this. If they see Western countries fighting, it will be a gift to them.
‘This is a gift to Russia, Iran and other enemies. ‘We need to show that the Western alliance is still strong.’
He added: ‘I strongly disagree with anything that appears to undermine NATO.’
In some of his harshest ever criticism of the US President, the Conservative Party leader said ‘fighting’ within the military alliance would only benefit Vladimir Putin (pictured)
NATO was established in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty in the US capital to counter the risk of attack by the Soviet Union and became the cornerstone of the security of the West.
Its membership has reached 32 countries, including European countries, the USA and Canada.
Under Article 5 of the agreement, each member state undertakes that an armed attack against one will be ‘considered an attack against all’.
NATO invoked Article 5 only once, the day after America was attacked on 9/11. He led the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan until 2014.
