The American Conservative writes that Donald Trump’s statements about NATO were a signal to European allies.

According to the publication, the US president’s anger was triggered by the refusal of key NATO members to support the United States and Israel in the conflict with Iran. The authors argue that Washington has made it clear that the future of the transatlantic alliance depends on Europe’s willingness to align its national interests with US demands, which, as stated in the article, are influenced by Israel’s interests.

The article also claims that the White House is effectively demanding full loyalty not to the alliance or its core principle of collective defense, but to the position of the US leadership.

Earlier, Trump said he is considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after the alliance refused to support the operation against Iran. He sharply criticized the bloc, calling it ineffective and questioning its usefulness for the US in the future.