Local media reported that U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring allies despite failing to produce notable results as the Iran war drags on. Korea was in the spotlight among the targets of Trump's pressure.
The U.S. online outlet Axios reported on the 18th (local time) that "Korea, which had been praised by defense secretary Pete Hegseth as a 'model ally,' has become a scapegoat in President Trump's retaliatory offensive."
Axios ran an article titled "Trump shows the limits of hard power in the Iran war and pressures allies," offering an in-depth analysis of the president's ally policy. It said Trump went to war with Iran touting "hard power," which compels other countries' actions through military and economic might, but, with no results, is shifting the blame to allies.
Axios said, "During his second term, President Trump is going on the offensive against America's allies and using security ties built over decades for personal and political payback," adding, "The Iran war has deepened that tendency."
It added, "Anger at allies that are not getting involved in the Iran war is steadily intensifying," and "That anger is surfacing as he struggles to end the war."
A representative example cited was the "Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)" exercise. Recently, the president ordered the War Department (Ministry of National Defense) to scale back UFG.
Axios said, "For half a century, UFG has served as a key pillar of the deterrence architecture that binds Washington and Seoul together against North Korea's nuclear armament," adding, "Korea has become the most surprising 'scapegoat' in Trump's retaliatory offensive."
Although the president cited expense and relations with North Korea as the ostensible reasons for ordering UFG cutbacks, Axios analyzed that, in reality, it was a response to Korea's refusal to join the Iran war.
On the 17th, the president told reporters, "We cannot go around protecting all of these countries," adding, "In particular, they do not even step up to help us."
The president also said recently on Truth Social, his social media platform, "I asked the president of Korea whether there was a willingness to join in the denuclearization of Iran, but they replied they would pass."
Trump's pressure on allies extends not only to Korea but also to European countries. According to Bloomberg News, as the U.S. War Department reviewed U.S. troop deployments, it conducted a survey of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies about the president's foreign policy. The questionnaire asked whether a country had aligned with U.S. military operations and weapons purchases, among other items.
Axios analyzed, "Allies that deviated from a submissive posture have already paid a price."
Germany and Spain are representative cases. After Germany criticized America's Iran strategy, the U.S. War Department decided to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany. After Spain denied base access for strikes on Iran, there were threats to cut off trade.
However, there were also indications that such policies by the president are having little effect in eliciting allied cooperation. Axios noted, "These policies will motivate allies to marshal tools to counter the United States," adding, "The network of relationships that amplified U.S. power for decades is also gradually weakening."