Nato leaders seek show of unity as alliance meets amid bitter disputes and division

Nato has kicked off a tense summit, with its 70th anniversary overshadowed by rows over funding and future strategy

US President Donald Trump called Canadian leader Justin Trudeau ‘two-faced’ after a microphone gaffe

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Nato heads of government pose for a family photo at the summit venue in Watford, outside London. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:16pm, 4 Dec 2019Updated: 11:07pm, 4 Dec 2019

Nato kicked off tense summit talks on Wednesday seeking to make a show of unity despite bickering among leaders as a festering row with Turkey rumbles on.

The members pledged their commitment to collective defence, and the leaders of the 29 nations affirmed in a declaration that “our solemn commitment as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that an attack against one Ally shall be considered an attack against us all”.

What should have been a celebration of Nato’s 70th birthday has been overshadowed by bitter disputes about money and the future strategy of the alliance.

Last year, the Western allies’ get-together was derailed by US President Donald Trump’s demand for greater European defence spending, but 2019’s provocateur was Emmanuel Macron.

US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are seen at the Nato summit. Photo: Reuters

The French president has called for a renewed strategic dialogue with Moscow and demanded that Turkey explain itself over its assault – backed by Syrian rebels Paris sees as extremists – on Kurdish forces and its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile has threatened to hold up Nato efforts to bolster the protection of the Baltic republics against Russia unless the allies brand the Kurdish militias who defeated Islamic State in Syria as “terrorists”.