NATO may end annual summits to avoid Trump encounters — report
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Mark Rutte and Donald Trump (Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo)
NATO
is considering ending its practice of holding annual summits to lower the risk
of U.S. President Donald Trump attempting to tear down the alliance, Reuters reported
on April 27, citing six sources.
Summit frequency has varied over the alliance’s 77-year history, but since 2021 leaders have met each summer. This year’s summit is set for July 7-8 in Ankara, Turkey. Some member states, however, are pushing to reduce the number of summits.
“One diplomat said the 2027 summit, to be held in Albania, would likely take place that autumn and NATO was considering not holding one at all in 2028 — the year of the U.S. presidential election and Trump’s final full calendar year in office,” Reuters said.
Another diplomat said some countries favor holding summits every two years, but no decision has been made, and the final word would rest with Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the sources said.
“Two of the sources mentioned Trump as a factor but several said broader considerations were at play,” the report added.
“Some diplomats and analysts have long argued that annual summits create pressure for eye-catching results that distracts from longer-term planning.”
A NATO spokesperson told Reuters the alliance will continue
to hold regular meetings of heads of state and government, and that members
will keep working together between summits to ensure collective security.
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