Political commentator Aman Bhogal has launched a scathing assessment of Nato's military strength, arguing the alliance would be virtually worthless without its two most powerful members.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Bhogal declared: "You take out Britain and the United States of America out of Nato, yes, pretty much what you've got left is just paper."
Mr Bhogal pointed to several Nato members who are falling short of the alliance's minimum defence spending target of two per cent of GDP.
"You got Spain, you got the Canada, you got the Belgians and even France, all these places, they're not stepping up to the mark. We've seen it," he stated.
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President Donald Trump has signalled he is giving serious thought to withdrawing the United States from Nato, branding the transatlantic defence bloc a "paper tiger" in remarks to The Telegraph.
When pressed on whether American membership of the alliance might be reconsidered following the Iran conflict, the president responded: "Oh yes, I would say [it's] beyond reconsideration."
Mr Trump expressed longstanding scepticism about the organisation's effectiveness.
"I was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way," he told the newspaper.
Aman Bhogal has backed Donald Trump's criticism of Nato, declaring it would be 'paper' without the UK and US
|GB NEWS / REUTERS
The alliance's members have collectively declined to participate in the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran, a decision that has infuriated the White House.
Nato countries have also rebuffed Trump's request for assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global energy supplies that Tehran has effectively closed in retaliation for the attacks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier suggested that Washington might review its relationship with Nato once hostilities with Iran conclude.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Bhogal drew a direct connection between this inadequate military investment and Moscow's actions in Eastern Europe.
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Nato chief Mark Rutte is heading to Washington next week to appease Mr Trump after he threatened to leave the military alliance | GETTYHe argued this failure to meet commitments was precisely the reason Russia felt confident enough to launch its invasion of Ukraine several years ago, suggesting the alliance's weakness had been exposed on the world stage.
Mr Bhogal also took aim at Britain's own defence establishment, highlighting what he described as a deeply embarrassing moment from the previous week.
"And what's even more embarrassing than that is the fact that we had the our Defence Secretary just last week who couldn't even tell us how many ships we have. That's very embarrassing," he said.
The commentator called for the alliance to be restructured to address contemporary threats, stating: "I think Nato should have been redefined to meet the challenges of the ages."
Mr Bhogal told GB News that Nato should be 'redefined to meet the challenges of the ages'
|GB NEWS
He also linked Iranian and Russian activities to the ongoing illegal migration crisis in the English Channel.
He concluded: "I think Nato should have been redefined to meet the challenges of the ages.
"And of course, a big chunk of what the Iranians and the Russians have been pushing through is a lot of the illegal economic migration that we continue to see in the Channel."
On March 20, the US President took to social media to launch his attack on the military alliance.
He wrote: "Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!
"They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran.
"Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.
"So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!"