US President Donald Trump has written to several leaders of Nato member states demanding that they increase their defence spending. As the security alliance prepares to meet next week in Brusels at Nato’s new headquarters, it has emerged that Germany, Belgium, Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom, among other member states, have received pointed letters from Mr Trump informing them that the existing arrangement “is no longer sustainable” for the US.
The letter with the harshest wording was reportedly delivered to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who held talks with Mr Trump at the White House in April. "As we discussed during your visit in April, there is growing frustration in the United States that some allies have not stepped up as promised", Mr Trump wrote to Ms Merkel, according to a witness who shared the letter's contents with the New York Times. "The United States continues to devote more resources to the defence of Europe when the continent's economy, including Germany's, are doing well and security challenges abound."
Mr Trump accused Germany, Europe’s largest economy, of setting a detrimental example: “Continued German underspending on defence undermines the security of the alliance and provides validation for other allies that also do not plan to meet their military spending commitments, because others see you as a role model.”
Even Britain, Washington’s closest military ally, has not been spared Mr Trump’s ire. A presidential letter has also been sent to London, which was already in receipt of correspondence addressed last month to British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson by James Mattis, the US Secretary of Defence, warning him that France could replace the UK as Washington’s “partner of choice” if it did not up its defence expenditure.
Analysts have expressed alarm that any division among allies would work to the advantage of Russian president Vladimir Putin, whose longstanding criticism of Nato has been amplified by his American counterpart. The two leaders will meet in Finland in the week following the Nato summit.
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The US has been the bedrock that has underpinned Europe’s post-war security. Mr Trump, however, has expressed doubts about Nato’s utility, branded it “obsolete” and accused other member states of profiting off of Washington’s gullibility. At last year’s summit, he bluntly told Nato members that they must “finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations”. The US taxpayer, he said, could no longer afford to “carry a disproportionate share of the defence of Western values”.
Financial contributions to Nato are determined by a complex mechanism that takes each member state’s national income into account. Roughly a quarter of Nato’s budget comes from the US. In 2006, Nato members agreed to a guideline that called for 2 per cent of their GDP to be spent on national defence, before setting themselves the goal in 2014 to move towards that target by 2024.
Mr Trump’s missives have elicited anger in European capitals. "I am not very impressed by this type of letter”, said Belgium’s prime minister Charles Michel. Mr Trump will fly to London from Brussels to hold talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. An audience with the Queen is on the US president’s itinerary. The British government, however, has blocked Nigel Farage, arguably Mr Trump’s favourite Englishman, from going anywhere near the US President.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Quick%20facts
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now