Nato leaders to meet in London in December for alliance’s 70th anniversary

The leaders of Nato’s 29 countries will gather in London in December for a special meeting to mark the alliance’s 70th anniversary, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday.

Stoltenberg tweeted that the British capital was “the ideal setting to mark 70 years of transatlantic military cooperation, as the home of Nato’s first HQ back in 1949”.

Nato chiefs will be hoping to avoid the high drama of last year’s summit in Brussels, when US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on allies, in particular Germany, for not spending enough on defence.

There had been talk of holding the leaders’ meeting in Washington – where Nato’s founding treaty was signed – but, amid fears of a new transatlantic bust-up, foreign ministers will gather in the US capital in April instead.

Estonia also offered to host the December meeting.

“The meeting in London will be an opportunity for Allied heads of state and government to address the security challenges we face now and in the future, and to ensure that Nato continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.