NATO chief to visit Washington next week as Trump threatens exit from alliance

By Andrew Gray ‌and Trevor ​Hunnicutt

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, ​April 1 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Washington next week for what ‌a spokesperson for the military alliance called a "long-planned ⁠visit" that comes after President Donald Trump blasted European ‌allies over differences on ‌the Iran war.

"I can confirm that the Secretary General will be in DC next week for ​a long-planned visit," NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said. A White House official also confirmed ⁠the visit.

No further details of the trip were immediately available.

Trump said he ​was considering pulling the U.S. out of the Western military alliance due to the ​refusal of European members to ‌send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

In remarks on Wednesday to allies ⁠gathered for an Easter lunch at the White House, Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among ⁠other U.S. allies, as a “paper tiger."

NATO, which includes European countries, ​the U.S. and Canada, was formed in 1949 with the aim of countering the risk of Soviet attack and ‌has been the cornerstone of the West's security ever since.

“We've had some very ‌bad allies in NATO,” Trump said. "Hopefully, we're never ⁠going to need ‌them. I don't ​think we will need them."

(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by David ‌Gregorio)

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