The OTAN meeting was intended to be a meeting to celebrate the critical military alliance. But, as HufNews’s special correspondent reports from London, it was instead divisions on display.
NATO leaders may have been marching to the beat of different drummers yesterday, but all 29 countries fell in line for this morning’s group photo to mark the alliance’s 70th anniversary. Pretending OTAN is a happy family was never going to be easy, though, after yesterday’s public airing of grievances and this private conversation caught on camera among the queen’s daughter and the leaders of the U.K., France, the Netherlands, and Canada, in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears to mock the president. The Canadian Prime Minister, JUSTIN TRUDEAU was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference.
You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor. JUSTIN TRUDEAU
They may not been the only jaws to drop. In yesterday’s meeting, the president openly questioned whether NATO should defend countries that don’t pay their fair share on defense (2%), while adding Canada was, in the president’s words, only semi-delinquent. This afternoon, the president was asked about the candid moment during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Well, he’s two-faced. And, honestly, with Trudeau, he’s a nice guy. I find him to be a very nice guy. But the truth is that I called him out on the fact that he’s not paying 2 percent, and I guess he’s not very happy about it. The president Donald Trump
Trudeau denied that, and he said to the press the following
I have had a number of good conversations with the president over the course of this — this day and yesterday. I have a very good relationship with President Trump and his team. This is a concern the United States legitimately has, that every country needs to step up in different ways. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Two percent is the amount OTAN countries committed to spend on their defense and weapons, and the 29 members have now five more years to reach the target. A handful of them already have. Today, the president dined with them.
Eight different countries, plus the United States, that are fully paid. They met the goal of 2 percent. We call them the 2 percenters. The president Donald Trump
Germany isn’t a 2 percenter, but the German chancellor and President Trump had a very civil conversation. Trade did come up. with the president said the following 1118
It’s been a little tough for the United States. We have had a very bad imbalance for many, many years, for — for decades, actually. And we’re discussing that right now. The president Donald Trump
President Trump also had an unscheduled meeting with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at which news cameras were not present. After an October phone call, Mr. Trump announced a U.S. pullout from Northern Syria. Turkey then invaded north Syria, and Mr. Trump threatened Erdogan with economic ruin if he went too far. Mr. Trump spoke later.
We pulled our soldiers out and we took over the oil. We have soldiers where the oil is. And that’s the way I like it. they can police their own border. And that’s what they’re doing. They can use other countries if they want, if they want to spend the time and energy. The president Donald Trump
After two hours of impromptu press conferences, the president tweeted that he’d done enough and canceled a formal news conference. As he left London, the White House press office released a triumphant video record of his NATO trip, and the president wished everyone safe travels, and perhaps good riddance. And late today, as the president flew home to the U.S., he tweeted:
The fake news media is doing everything possible to belittle my very successful trip to London for NATO. I got along great with the NATO leaders. The president Donald Trump
