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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 10 July 2018

Trump’s strained visit with NATO, meeting with Putin

By JILL COLVIN and JONA- insisted that Trump “appre-
THAN LEMIRE ciates free speech” in both
Associated Press countries.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With The meeting comes as May
the established global or- is being shaken by a cri-
der on shaky footing, Presi- sis over Britain’s exit from
dent Donald Trump’s week- the European Union that
long trip to Europe will test threatens to tear apart
already strained bonds her government. The G-7
with some of the United world leaders’ meeting in
States’ closest allies, then Canada last month end-
put him face to face with ed in tumult when Trump
the leader of the country suddenly retracted his en-
whose electoral interfer- dorsement of the group’s
ence was meant to help final joint statement after
put him in office. his departure and railed
Trump departs Tuesday on against Trudeau by mid-
a four-nation tour amid sim- flight tweet en route to Sin-
mering disputes over trade gapore for his summit with
and military spending with Kim, a meeting that critics
fellow Western democra- said legitimized Kim on the
cies and speculation about world stage without secur-
whether he will rebuke or ing a clear pathway to the
embrace Russian President denuclearization.
Vladimir Putin. He meets In this May 25, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump jokes with British Foreign Minister Boris “The president was willing
the Russian leader in Helsin- Johnson as British Prime Minister Theresa May walks past during a working dinner meeting at the to offer concessions to Kim
ki as the finale of a trip with NATO headquarters during a NATO summit of heads of state and government in Brussels. without getting anything
earlier stops in Belgium, Associated Press specific or concrete in re-
England and Scotland. also bemoaned that Amer- senior fellow at the Council come “increasingly diffi- turn,” said Jeffrey Rathke,
Trump has shown little re- icans were “the schmucks on Foreign Relations and cult to justify to American deputy director of the Eu-
gard for America’s tradi- that are paying for the professor at American Uni- citizens why some countries rope Program at the non-
tional bonds with the Old whole thing.” versity, who is an expert in fail to meet our shared col- partisan Center for Strate-
World, publicly upbraiding He then laced into German NATO and security allianc- lective security commit- gic and International Stud-
world leaders at NATO’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, es. “The main concern is ments.” ies.
new headquarters a year who will be in attendance he will spend much of the The ties between the U.S. He said the decision had
ago for not spending in Brussels, complain- time berating them on not and many of its longest- sparked “kind of a frenzy”
enough on defense and ing about how much the spending enough on de- standing allies have frayed about what concessions
delivering searing indict- United States put toward fense” before having “a since Trump took office Trump might be willing to
ments of Western trad- Germany’s defense: “And love fest with Putin, like he and put his “America first” offer Putin without NATO si-
ing partners last month at I said, you know, Angela, did with Chairman Kim,” agenda into practice. He gnoff.
an international summit in I can’t guarantee it, but Goldgeier said. He added has pulled the U.S. out of On Putin’s wish list: an end
Canada. On this trip, after we’re protecting you, and that if Trump is warmer to- the Paris climate agree- to U.S. military exercises
meeting with NATO lead- it means a lot more to you. ward Putin than the leaders ment as well as the Iran nu- in Europe and the scaling
ers in Brussels, he’ll travel to ... I don’t know how much of the military alliance that clear deal, slapped tariffs back of U.S. forces there.
the United Kingdom, where protection we get from was founded to protect Eu- on steel and aluminum im- The summit also will offer
widespread protests are protecting you.” rope from Soviet threats, it ports, and threatened ad- Putin a chance to try to
expected, before he heads At the same time, he de- would go “a long way to ditional tariffs on products persuade Trump to lift some
to one of his Scottish golf re- clared that “Putin is fine” undermining NATO, under- like automobiles. of the sanctions imposed
sorts for the weekend. and that he had been pre- mining the trans-Atlantic re- Although administration on Russia over its 2014 an-
In the run-up to his trip, the paring for their summit “all lationship, undermining our officials point to the long- nexation of Crimea, its sup-
president did little to ease my life.” relationship with our allies.” standing alliance between port for separatists fighting
European concerns by de- Experts fear the trip could Trump is expected to con- the United States and the the government in eastern
livering fresh broadsides produce a repeat of the tinue to press NATO nations United Kingdom, Trump’s Ukraine and its alleged
against NATO, an intergov- dynamics from Trump’s last to fulfill their commitments itinerary will largely keep meddling in the 2016 U.S.
ernmental military alliance trip abroad, when he ad- to spend 2 percent of their him out of central London, presidential election.
of 29 North American and monished Group of Seven gross domestic product on where significant protests Trump has already met
European countries aimed allied nations at a summit defense by 2024. Trump has are expected. Instead, a se- with Putin twice as presi-
at countering possible Rus- in Canada before head- argued that countries not ries of events — a black-tie dent, including a meeting
sian aggression. ing to Singapore, where he paying their fair share are dinner with business lead- on the sidelines of a summit
“The United States is spend- showered praise on one of freeloading off the U.S. and ers, a meeting with Prime in Germany that stretched
ing far more on NATO than America’s longest-standing has threatened to stop pro- Minister Theresa May and for more than two hours.
any other Country. This is adversaries, North Korea’s tecting those he feels pay an audience with Queen But plans for a full-fledged
not fair, nor is it accept- Kim Jong Un. too little. Elizabeth II — will happen summit had been delayed
able,” Trump tweeted “What people are worried NATO estimates that 15 outside the bustling city, amid the FBI and congres-
Monday morning, preview- about this trip is he’ll have members, or just over half, where Mayor Sadiq Khan sional probes into whether
ing his message in Brussels. equally difficult interac- will meet the benchmark has been in a verbal battle Trump campaign aides
During a rally last week in tions with his NATO coun- by 2024 based on current with Trump. coordinated with Russia to
Montana, Trump vowed terparts,” including Merkel trends. Trump sent letters to Woody Johnson, Trump’s help Trump win the elec-
that he would “tell NATO: and Canadian Prime Min- the leaders of several NATO ambassador to the U.K., tion. Trump has dismissed
‘You’ve got to start paying ister Justin Trudeau, said countries ahead of his visit, said the president is aware those probes as nothing
your bills.’” The president James Goldgeier, a visiting warning that it would be- of the planned protests but but a “witch hunt.”q