NATO has weathered another storm from Donald Trump but European members of the military alliance are bracing for more turbulence ahead in relations with the U.S. president.
NATO Summit Outcome
European leaders were upbeat after the Ankara summit, pleased by Trump’s talk of “love in the room”, his endorsement of a declaration that reiterated support for NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence pact and his decision to give Ukraine a license to make Patriot missile interceptors.
RUTTE SAYS U.S. REMAINS ‘DOMINANT PLAYER’ IN NATO. “There is, of course, one dominant player in the room – let’s be honest,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Reuters after the summit.
Although they expect more volatility in the relationship, European officials see huge value in keeping their superpower ally inside the alliance. Without U.S. military clout, many fear they would be more vulnerable to an attack from Russia.
Defence Spending
Before the summit, Rutte and other NATO officials sought to persuade Trump to set aside tension over Iran and stick with the alliance, telling him big increases in defence spending by European allies were a personal victory for him.
Trump has long said Europe should spend more on defence, and his administration is pushing Europeans to take over primary responsibility for the conventional defence of the continent.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
