The NATO summit in The Hague last year passed more smoothly than many had feared. Credit was due partly to Secretary General Mark Rutte’s now-notorious flattery of President Donald Trump, whom he referred to as ‘Daddy’, and partly to the allies bowing to US demands to spend more money on defence.
Those fearing a repeat of the contentious Brussels summit of 2018 – where Trump reportedly threatened to pull the United States out of NATO – were pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, the Ankara summit in July threatens a return to the fractious atmosphere of 2018.
