LONDON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will set out to strengthen the NATO military alliance today, though all eyes will ultimately be on U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump is to meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg first thing this morning, for an exchange that will set the tone for the next two days as leaders from the alliance’s 29 member states celebrate its 70th birthday and talk about the future.
Trump has waffled between public support for NATO and questioning its worth during his time in the Oval Office, which has raised concerns about the alliance’s viability as global instability is on the rise.
For his part, Trudeau will seek to reinforce the importance of NATO during an event with his Dutch counterpart before heading to Buckingham Palace for a formal dinner with the Queen, Trump, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other NATO leaders.
NATO was was established by the U.S., Canada and several Western European countries after the Second World War to guard against the Soviet Union.
The alliance has become a cornerstone of Canada’s defence from external threats and a driver in its relations with democratic Europe even as it has evolved to face the rise of terrorism, a newly assertive Russia and, more recently, China.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2019.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
