NATO summit: World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, wrapped up a two-day summit in London to mark the alliance’s 70th anniversary.
Clashing with friends: Trump started Tuesday by slamming his French counterpart over comments last month that NATO faced a “brain death” caused by US indifference to the transatlantic alliance. The second day was overshadowed by a video apparently showing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and other world leaders joking about Trump.
Our live coverage has ended. Scroll through the posts below to read back on how the NATO summit unfolded over the last 48 hours. For our latest coverage, head here.
As the NATO summit in London draws to a close, a couple of the leaders are taking to Twitter to praise the alliance.
Estonian PM Juri Ratas shared a photograph of the member states who meet the threshold of spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense alongside a grinning Trump.
Separately, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte appeared to acknowledge tensions among NATO allies and called for organization to “keep evolving.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he was talking about Donald Trump when a “hot mic” appeared to capture him and other NATO leaders mocking the US President.
Addressing journalists at the end of the NATO summit on Wednesday, Trudeau confirmed he was referring to Trump’s “impromptu press conference” ahead of a meeting between the two leaders.
The video, which has gone viral, shows British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte appearing to have a laugh about Trump’s behavior during the summit. But none of the leaders explicitly named Trump.
“Last night I made reference to the fact that there was an unscheduled press conference before my meeting with President Trump. I was happy to be part of it but it was certainly notable,” Trudeau said during a Wednesday press conference.
He added that the “jaws dropped” comment referred to Trump’s unexpected announcement that the next G7 summit would be held at Camp David, explaining that he was merely sharing with other leaders where the next gathering would take place.
Trudeau went on to say that the relationship between the US and Canada is strong, highlighting the recently re-negotiated NAFTA agreement which, he said, is better for Canadians, better for Americans and better for Mexicans.
Trudeau also said the relationship between the two countries went well beyond the personal relationship between the US President and the Canadian Prime Minister, but noted that his relationship with Trump was a good one.
When asked about the moment by a journalist, Trump responded by calling Trudeau “two-faced.”
In another NATO hot mic moment, President Donald Trump was recorded saying it was “funny” when he called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “two-faced.”
An unidentified voice with an American accent prompted the response by Trump: “I think you’ll be in double digits for press conferences. It’s crazy,” the person said (The President later cancelled the press conference via tweet).
Trump responded, “Oh, and then you know what they’ll say. He didn’t do a press conference. He didn’t do a press conference. That was funny when I said the guy’s two-faced, you know that – they’re gone.”
The audio then cut off as the press left the room. The moment was not on camera.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump said he thought the Canadian PM was “two-faced” when asked about a video that purported to show him mocking the US President to other world leaders.
Boris Johnson has almost passed the Trump test.
During his Q&A session with the press on day two of the NATO Summit, the UK Prime Minister brushed off questions concerning his personal relationship with the US President while praising the alliance between the two leaders’ countries.
He then name-checked both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, making sure to emphasize the extent to which he and his European allies agreed on foreign affairs.
It was, in truth, a masterclass in how to give a high-profile press conference just over a week before an election in which his relationship with the very unpopular Trump has been used to attack him, while trying to prove that he’s not reckless when it comes to Europe.
Johnson’s campaign team had been dreading this NATO summit for weeks. Trump’s previous endorsement of Johnson had handed his election rival, Jeremy Corbyn, a tranche of PR grenades that he could launch at will.
But with Trump due to leave the country in a matter of hours having not caused as much of a stir as many feared, Johnson and his Conservative campaign team has cleared what might be its final hurdle before polls open next Thursday.
Trudeau’s conversation during the Buckingham Palace reception with several leaders on Tuesday night is not the only moment to have gone viral. If you look on Twitter right now, you’ll see that the top trend on the popular social media platform is “Princess Anne.”
In a video from last night’s Buckingham Palace reception, Donald Trump and his wife Melania can be seen walking towards the royal line where Queen Elizabeth II – alongside Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall – is waiting to receive them.
As the British monarch offers her hand to the President, the Princess Royal can be seen in the background by the door covering her mouth. She watches on as the Queen engages in a warm exchange with Trump.
The Queen then looks over apparently to see which world leader is due to receive next and instead notices her daughter. The Queen says something inaudible in Anne’s direction before the Princess Royal shrugs and can be heard replying “It’s just me” as the group around the 93-year-old sovereign chuckles.
Some on Twitter have suggested the Queen was perhaps “scolding” Anne for missing the line-up. However, that seems unlikely as only Charles and Camilla were supposed to also be in the receiving line, according to Buckingham Palace.
CNN has reached out to Buckingham Palace for clarification on the events in the video but had not heard a response by time of publication.
Watch the moment below:
More details are emerging about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in London on Wednesday.
“Our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a very productive meeting with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit,” Turkish presidency communication director Fahrettin Altun said in a tweet.
The meeting lasted for 30 minutes and took place after the main session of the NATO leaders’ summit, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.
The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Finance Berat Albayrak, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, and Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin were also present at the meeting, according to Anadolu.
After making his feelings clear on Trudeau, Trump also clarified what he would be doing this afternoon. And it’s unlikely to be another press conference.
The President said he would be having a meeting with “the 2% people” and then “another meeting with Denmark and then we’ll probably go directly back to Washington.”
Joking with reporters as the bilateral meeting with Merkel wrapped up, Trump said, “I think we’ve done plenty of press conferences unless you’re demanding a press conference – [then] we’ll do one but i think we’ve answered plenty of questions.”
He was scheduled to have a press conference at 3:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. ET).
The White House has not responded to requests for clarification on the status of this event.
The US President did not mince his words when asked about footage of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apparently making jokes at his expense went viral overnight.
Trump’s first public reaction showed he was unhappy with that video surfacing, responding to a reporter’s question by calling Trudeau “two-faced.”
“He’s two-faced,” Trump said, adding “honestly with Trudeau he’s a nice guy.”
Trump continued: “The truth is I called him out on the fact that he’s not paying 2% and I guess he’s not very happy about it,” Trump said adding “he should be paying 2% and that Canada “has money.”
“I can imagine he’s not that happy but that’s the way it is.
Watch the moment below:
The US President praised Turkey’s intervention in Syria Wednesday.
“The border and the safe zone is working out very well and I give Turkey a lot of credit for that. The ceasefire is holding,” Trump said.
He was responding to a question at the NATO summit about his meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who sent troops into Kurdish-controlled regions of Syria after Trump withdrew US forces.
“It was a very good meeting. We discussed Syria. We discussed the Kurds,” Trump said.
“That border is a mess for a long time,” he said, adding: “We have soldiers where the oil is and that’s the way I like it.”
The US President is speaking to reporters as he sits down for a bilat with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Separately, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is simultaneously addressing the media at a press conference.
US President Donald Trump will shortly sit down for a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Trump and Merkel have long butted heads over a number of issues, and notably, Trump has pressed Germany to contribute more to defense spending as part of its commitment to NATO. Last month, Germany said it would reach the 2% spending target by 2031 – seven years past NATO’s goal date.
During last year’s summit, Merkel hit back at Trump’s claim that “Germany is a captive of Russia” by drawing on her own upbringing in Soviet-controlled East Germany, saying that she’s “very happy that we are today unified in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Boris Johnson will not be attending this afternoon’s lunch with Trump and other NATO 2%-ers, CNN’s Betsy Klein reports.
Trump’s working lunch on Wednesday is only for NATO countries who are fulfilling their 2% defense commitment. The UK foreign minister will attend the luncheon in Johnson’s place, who has other NATO commitments, Klein adds.
Also expected at the meal are representatives form Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Bulgaria.
Separately, more details of Trump’s meeting with Johnson at Downing Street on Tuesday evening were revealed today.
A readout from deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said the leaders “affirmed the importance of the Special Relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States and discussed their priorities ahead of today’s NATO Leaders Meeting.”
The pair also spoke about trade and security, according to the readout.
President Trump held official meetings with two foreign leaders and the head of NATO at the alliance summit Tuesday – turning the public portion of each sessions into his own highly dishonest impromptu press conference.
Trump treated NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to a selection of his favorite fictions, most of which we have fact-checked before, and sprinkled in some new nonsense for good measure.
Our initial count: Speaking to reporters for more than two hours in total, Trump made at least 21 false claims. The total may well grow once we have time to do some deeper fact-checking.
Trump made false claims about NATO while sitting with Stoltenberg, and false claims about Europe while sitting with Macron. Both know the truth – and Macron fact-checked one of Trump’s claims to his face. But Trump was, as ever, undeterred.
Trump repeatedly said, for example, that NATO members are “delinquent” for failing to meet the alliance’s guideline of having each member spend 2% of their Gross Domestic Product on defense. The guideline does not impose binding financial obligations or debts, and NATO’s 2014 agreement says that members will work to meet the target within a decade, not that they must hit it immediately.
Here’s the list so far:
World leaders are now in a closed-door session for the next hour or so. But here’s a look at what’s coming up for the US President.
He is scheduled to hold meetings Wednesday with:
He’s also expected to take part in a working lunch with representatives of Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria and the UK.
One of the big talking points from yesterday was that fact that despite no official press conferences being scheduled, Trump spoke to reporters for more than two hours. However, the President is expected to give a press conference before flying back to Washington later.
Trump’s timekeeping appears to be a topic of conversation throughout this summit.
Footage from last night’s reception is also drawing attention on Wednesday morning as it seems to show several foreign leaders discussing the President’s lengthy press conferences on Tuesday.
In a 25-second clip, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte appear to share a laugh over Trump’s behavior.
Microphones nearby only pick up snippets of the conversations, which starts with Johnson asking Macron why he was late.
Macron’s response is inaudible but he can be seen nodding as Trudeau says, “He was late because he takes a … 40-minute press conference at the top.”
While Trump was not mentioned by name, he is the only leader to have held a presser for that length of time, according to CNN’s Special Events team covering the summit.
CNN has reached out to representatives for all the leaders who were part of the conversation.
When asked if the leaders were talking about Trump, a spokesperson for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told CNN on Wednesday they do not comment on closed door sessions. A Elysee Palace spokeswoman declined to comment, adding, “This video does not say anything special.” Meanwhile, a spokesman for Trudeau told CNN they have no comment at this time.
The White House has also declined to comment.
None of the leaders seemed to be aware that the conversation was being recorded, although they were talking openly and loudly enough to be heard by others. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation first reported on the footage.
In a brief statement before the start of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pressed NATO leaders to remain united amid tensions in the alliance.
He said he was “delighted to welcome everybody here to the United Kingdom to celebrate the 70th anniversary of NATO” and that seven decades on “we are rock solid in our commitments to NATO and to the giant shield of solidarity that now protects 29 countries and nearly a billion people.”
Johnson spoke of the principle at the heart of the alliance saying “that for as long as we stand together, no one can hope to defeat us – and therefore no one will start a war.
“This essential principle is enshrined in article five of the North Atlantic treaty: that if any one of us is attacked, all of us will go to their defense,” he added.
Then, perhaps taking inspiration from the famous line from “The Three Musketeers” by French author Alexandre Dumas, Johnson continued, “If NATO has a motto, it is ‘one for all, and all for one.’”
The UK PM also said, “As friends and allies, we must never shy away from discussing new realities, particularly NATO’s response to emerging threats like hybrid warfare and disruptive technologies, including space and cyber. At this council, we have the opportunity to strengthen the unity of purpose that has made NATO the greatest and most successful alliance in history.”
President Donald Trump arrived for the handshake with UK PM Boris Johnson and NATO Sec. Gen. Jens Stoltenberg at 9:50 a.m. (3:50 a.m. ET). The President’s arrival was delayed, leaving Johnson and Stoltenberg to wait in front of the press for several minutes after the rest of the leaders had completed their handshakes.
“How long do you think?” Johnson was heard asking an aide as they awaited Trump. The UK Prime Minister and NATO leader stood on the stage in front of the cameras, talking quietly among themselves.
“How we doing, folks?” Johnson asked at one point.
Trump arrived eventually and shook hands with Johnson, then Stoltenberg, and posed between the two for a photo. He initially exited the stage on the wrong side but Johnson pointed him in the right direction.
Handshakes have now concluded. NATO leaders are now on stage posing for a group picture.
Speaking of Prince Andrew, Donald Trump was asked about the royal during his impromptu press conference on Tuesday morning.
“I don’t know Prince Andrew, but it’s a tough story,” Trump said on the sidelines of the NATO summit. “I don’t know him, no.”
His remarks raised eyebrows given the pair have been photographed together on a number of occasions including most recently during the President’s state visit to the UK in June.
As NATO’s leaders continue to make their way into the Grove Hotel for a second day of meetings, let’s catch up on last night’s glitzy reception at Buckingham Palace.
Upon arrival, the NATO leaders were greeted by Queen Elizabeth II, her son Charles and his wife, Camilla.
Several members of the royal family were in attendance at the event including Princess Anne, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Notable absences: However, not all royals were at the reception. Prince Andrew, who took a central role during the Trump’s visit over the summer, did not appear as he has stepped away from royal duties in the wake of a scandal over his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Prince William is away this week on official visits to Kuwait and Oman. And lastly, Prince Harry and Meghan were not at the reception as they are taking some “family time” off from royal duties.
