Trump says UK ‘doesn’t matter’ as he blasts Royal Navy and warns he is 'strongly considering' pulling out of NATO
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer warned the Iran war will “define the UK for a generation”
In a fresh attack on his allies, Donald Trump has said the UK “doesn’t even have a navy” as he warned he is “strongly considering” pulling the US out of NATO.
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In his latest blistering attack on Sir Keir Starmer and Britain at large, the president suggested the UK wouldn’t be able to help his war in the Middle East if it wanted to because its Navy is “too old” and “doesn’t work.”
It comes as Sir Keir warned the Iran war will “define the UK for a generation” and said the impact of the conflict “will not be easy" for Brits.
Speaking to the Telegraph on Wednesday, the US President slammed his allies’ response to the war he launched on Iran without their support.
Read more: Iran war will affect the future of the UK and define the country 'for a generation,' says PM
When asked if he could pull the US out of NATO, he said: “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration.
“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
He added: “Beyond not being there, it was actually hard to believe. And I didn’t do a big sale. I just said, ‘Hey’, you know, I didn’t insist too much. I just think it should be automatic.
“We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.”
Turning his anger to the UK specifically, he said: “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work.
When asked if Sir Keir Starmer should invest more in defence, Trump added: “I’m not going to tell him what to do.
“He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.”
Speaking from Downing Street this morning, the PM outlined a “five-point plan” for Britain to respond to the crisis in the Middle East.
Sir Keir has warned the Iran war will “affect the future of our country” but insisted the UK was “well-placed” to weather the storm as the conflict hits the economy and pushes up fuel and energy costs for consumers.
The Prime Minister sought to reassure Britons that there would be a “long-term plan” in place to emerge a “stronger and more secure nation” amid widespread concerns about the impact of the conflict on the cost of living.
At a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday, Sir Keir said: “It is now clear that the impact of this war will affect the future of our country.
“So, today, I want to reassure the British people that no matter how fierce this storm, we are well-placed to weather it and that we have a long-term plan to emerge from it a stronger and more secure nation.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host a meeting of international leaders to “assess all viable diplomatic and political measures” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Sir Keir said.
The price most households pay for energy under regulator Ofgem’s price cap fell by 7%, or £117 a year, to £1,641 from Wednesday.
But respected energy analyst Cornwall Insight said its prediction for the watchdog’s price cap from July to September now stands at £1,929 for a typical dual fuel household – an increase of £288 or 18% on April’s cap.