Trump to attend Queen’s reception during UK trip for NATO summit
Written by News on 17/11/2019
Donald Trump will attend a reception hosted by the Queen during his visit to the UK for a NATO summit from 2-4 December.
The White House confirmed Mr Trump will be among the NATO leaders attending the reception at Buckingham Palace.
In a statement, it said the president “looks forward” to the summit and will be emphasising the need for the alliance to combat cyber threats and terrorism.
The president has repeatedly expressed concerns that other countries are not putting enough funding into the military alliance.
The December summit will mark 70 years of the NATO alliance and is being hosted the week before the UK goes to the polls for a snap general election.
Leaders will attend the reception hosted by the Queen on 3 December before meeting to discuss security challenges the following day.
NATO Security General Jens Stoltenberg says the summit aims to “ensure that NATO continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe”.
Earlier this year, the security general warned a “serious cyber attack” – such as the one that brought down NHS hospitals in 2017 – could trigger a response from all NATO countries.
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Mr Stoltenberg said London was a fitting host for the alliance’s 70th anniversary as it is where the first headquarters were based.
Mr Trump met the Queen in June this year as part of a state visit, which included a banquet at Buckingham Palace.
He also held talks with then-prime minister Theresa May and attended a breakfast with business leaders.
The visit sparked mass protests, with thousands rallying in London’s Parliament Square.
A giant “Trump baby” blimp was floated for several hours as protesters marched and held signs.
A number of politicians also refused to attend the banquet with Mr Trump, including Jeremy Corbyn, former Commons Speaker John Bercow and former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable.
(c) Sky News 2019: Trump to attend Queen’s reception during UK trip for NATO summit
