Trump to attend Nato summit in London

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will visit Britain for Nato’s 70th-anniversary summit next month, the White House said on Friday, in a trip falling days before the country votes in a general election.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to retain power in the December 12 election that has been dominated by Brexit—a hugely divisive plan for which Trump has voiced strong support.

The president, who backs Brexit, even in a “no-deal” scenario with the European Union, has already roiled the election campaign by suggesting last month that the terms of Johnson’s current EU divorce deal mean London could struggle to continue to trade with the US.

The White House said in a statement that Trump and First Lady Melania would visit Britain from December 2 to 4, attending the Nato gathering and a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Trump has repeatedly expressed criticism of Nato—unprecedented for a US president. In addition, the summit will take place at a time of turmoil within the Western alliance.

French President Emmanuel Macron this week said the bloc was undergoing “brain death,” a claim that prompted a fierce response from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others.

Merkel said his comments were “drastic” and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted Nato was “important, critical.”