. 24/7 Space News .
SUPERPOWERS
Trump meets wary NATO and EU in 'hellhole' Brussels
by Staff Writers
Brussels (AFP) May 25, 2017


Donald Trump meets NATO and EU leaders on Thursday in the city he once derided as a "hellhole", with nervous allies hoping for a strong show of commitment from the US president.

The billionaire leader, on his first foreign tour, is getting a red-carpet welcome from the same organisations he ridiculed on the campaign trail in remarks that sparked fears for transatlantic ties.

But he was also greeted by large protests as he arrived in Brussels on Wednesday amid tight security for high-stakes meetings overshadowed by the concert bombing in Manchester, Britain, claimed by the Islamic State group.

Leaders will be hoping to convince Trump of the lasting relevance of the Brussels-based European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, together widely credited with keeping peace in Europe after World War II.

Trump dismissed NATO as "obsolete" for failing to tackle Islamist terror and focussing on Russia instead, while he alarmed the EU by backing Britain's exit from the 28-nation bloc.

But the mercurial Trump has since backed away from his comments, and hopes are high in Brussels that he will finally make a display of solidarity.

EU President Donald Tusk, who will meet Trump along with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, tweeted that "I'll aim to convince POTUS that euro-atlanticism means the free world co-operating to prevent (a) post-West world order".

- 'Win this fight' -

Trump set out his stall as he met Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel shortly after his arrival on Wednesday night, saying that the most important issue was terrorism after the "horrible situation" in Manchester.

"When you see something like what happened a few days ago you realise how important it is to win this fight. And we will win this fight," said Trump, fresh from meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican.

There was no sign of tension with Michel over Trump's calling Brussels a "hellhole" because of Muslim immigration in January 2016, two months before the city was struck by Islamic State suicide bombings.

However at least 9,000 people marched through Brussels on Wednesday night waving blond-haired effigies of the reality TV star president and flags saying "Trump not welcome".

Further protests were planned on Thursday, when Trump will first meet with EU President Tusk and Commission chief Juncker at the bloc's headquarters.

Tusk and Juncker will tell the US president that since last year's shock Brexit vote, the EU is "in a completely different place" after populist candidates lost in France and the Netherlands, a senior EU official said.

Trump is then set to dine with French President Emmanuel Macron, whose recent victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been seen as a beacon of hope by Brussels.

- Allies seek commitment -

The NATO summit after that will be full of pomp and symbolism, with the keen-to-impress alliance showing off its new $1.2 billion headquarters and staging a flypast.

At a ceremony with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump will unveil a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks featuring part of the destroyed World Trade Center, while Merkel does the same for a fragment of the Berlin Wall.

In return, allies rattled by a resurgent Russia will hope for a public display of commitment from Trump to Article 5, the alliance's one-for-all collective defence pledge.

While this has been triggered only once, by the US after 9/11, Trump has said that any future use might depend on whether a NATO member had met its spending commitments.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on the eve of the summit that he was confident of Trump's commitment.

He also urged allies to "step up" and join the US-led anti-IS coalition "not least because of the attack we saw in Manchester", and said they would deliver yearly spending plans.

The alliance is now set to formally join the coalition after France, Germany and Italy dropped their opposition, diplomatic sources said.

Trump's wife Melania, meanwhile, is set to visit a museum dedicated to the surrealist artist Rene Magritte and a leading leather store while in Brussels.

Trump's sweep through Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican, centres of three of the world's main religions, is being followed by Brussels and a trip to Italy for the G7 leaders summit on Friday.

On Wednesday Trump said he was "more determined than ever to pursue PEACE in our world" following a "fantastic" meeting with Pope Francis.

The high-profile trip has diverted attention from Trump's domestic pressures over alleged campaign collusion with Russia.

SUPERPOWERS
Montenegro readies to join NATO in setback for Russia
Podgorica, Montenegro (AFP) May 24, 2017
Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic did not mince his words when Russia last month announced a ban on imports from the Balkan country's biggest winemaker. "It is clear that the decision is in the context of (Montenegro's) NATO membership," he said, pointing out that Russian citizens had "lost an opportunity to consume the best wines". On May 25, Markovic will sit on the leaders' t ... read more

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SUPERPOWERS
SoftBank-Saudi high-tech Vision fund raises $93bn

'Stone Age' Trump going back to horse and cart says Schwarzenegger

Saving time in space

SpaceX Dragon to deliver research payloads to Space Station

SUPERPOWERS
Spaceflight buys Electron Rocket from Rocket Lab

Aerojet Rocketdyne tests 3D-printed rocket

Mining the moon for rocket fuel to get us to Mars

Arianespace launches SES-15 using Soyuz rocket

SUPERPOWERS
HI-SEAS Mission V Mars simulation marks midway point

Deciphering the fluid floorplan of a planet

How hard did it rain on Mars

Mars Rover Opportunity Begins Study of Valley's Origin

SUPERPOWERS
A cabin on the moon? China hones the lunar lifestyle

China tests 'Lunar Palace' as it eyes moon mission

China to conduct several manned space flights around 2020

Reach for the Stars: China Plans to Ramp Up Space Flight Activity

SUPERPOWERS
AsiaSat 9 ready for shipment

SES Networks offers new hybrid resiliency service

Allied Minds' portfolio company BridgeSat raises $6 million in Series A financing

AIA report outlines policies needed to boost the US Space Industry competitiveness

SUPERPOWERS
Arralis launches plug and play Ka band chipset

A new tool for discovering nanoporous materials

One-dimensional crystals for low-temperature thermoelectric cooling

New theory predicts wetted area of droplets colliding with flat surface

SUPERPOWERS
Scientists propose synestia, a new type of planetary object

Kepler Telescope Spies Details of Trappist-1's Outermost Planet

Astronomers Confirm Orbital Details of TRAPPIST-1h

Study shows how radioactive decay could support extraterrestrial life

SUPERPOWERS
Hubble spots moon around third largest dwarf planet

NASA asks science community for Europa Lander Instruments ideas

Waves of lava seen in Io's largest volcanic crater

Not So Great Anymore: Jupiter's Red Spot Shrinks to Smallest Size Ever









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.