12 minutes agoNATO leaders decide not to mention the World Cup to Trump not to irritate
Periskopi(an hour ago)
(an hour ago)NATO leaders have unofficially agreed not to mention Donald Trump's World Cup in football for fear of irritating the American president at a crucial time for the military alliance.
Officials said European leaders had discussed in Ankara's summit margins how to keep Trump on their side, amid concerns that he could further destabilise NATO with threats on defence expenditures, writes The Guardian.
They are already working together to ensure that the American president is financially exploiting their weight by building “a stronger and more European NATO”, with each member on the right track to spend 5% of GDP on protection by 2035.
In the first open acceptance of the strategy, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told reporters in Ankara that he would not discuss his country's 4-1 victory over the US earlier this week.
The summit comes after a debate caused by Trump's request to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, to review the red card shown by American assailant Folarin Balog, which means he could play the match against Belgium.
Before meeting Trump on the summit, De Wever joked with reporters that American President “has the reputation of sometimes reacting somewhat irritably to things he doesn't like, and I think this loss will hit heavily”.
