Nato to hold leaders summit in London

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday that the military alliance will hold a leaders summit in London in December, a gathering that following NATO protocol would be expected to include President Donald Trump.

The White House has not confirmed Trump's attendance.

It falls during NATO’s 70th anniversary year. No exact date for the meeting was given.

The choice of location has added symbolism, as Britain prepares to leave the European Union next month while asserting that it will retain a key role in the continent’s security.

Stoltenberg said: “We are grateful to the United Kingdom for agreeing to host this meeting in NATO’s 70th anniversary year.

“London was the home of NATO’s first headquarters. The United Kingdom was one of the Alliance’s twelve founding members and continues to play a key role in the Alliance, making essential contributions to our shared security.

“The meeting in London will be an opportunity ... to address the security challenges we face now and in the future, and to ensure that NATO continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe.”

When Trump attended a NATO summit in July last year he threatened to pull the U.S. out of the organization it helped found if allies did not increase spending on defence. He also accused Germany of being "a captive of Russia" in a series of tense interactions with allies that helped underscore how Trump intends to transform U.S. foreign policy.

NATO was founded in 1949 to help bring stability, and ensure peace, in a Europe that was reeling from the aftermath of World War II. A centrepiece of NATO is Article 5, a mutual security guarantee among its 29 members that requires each member-nation to come to the aid of their allies in the event of an attack. The provision has been invoked only once: on 9/11 when the U.S. was the target of terrorist attacks.

Trump has consistently railed against NATO allies for what he alleges is their failure to live up to spending commitments which amount to 2 percent of GDP.

The U.S. spends about 3.5 percent of GDP on defence, the highest NATO share.