Politico: Iran to become unexpected focus at upcoming NATO summit in The Hague

The conflict between Iran and Israel will be discussed at the NATO summit in The Hague, despite the fact that this topic does not correspond to the interests of the alliance.

“Iran is going to be a big deal at the summit,” one European diplomat said. “It’s not a NATO topic per se, but leaders are going to want to talk to Trump about it,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Politico.

Several countries also expressed concern that they did not know what to expect from President Trump at the summit. Camilla Grand, a former senior NATO official, said it was difficult to know what Trump really wanted.

To keep things predictable, the summit has been built around a one-page communiqué, a single working session and a royal dinner, Grand said.

The NATO summit in The Hague will take place on June 24-25, with the main goal to press member countries to boost their defence spending. Trump wanted the target raised from at least 2 per cent of gross domestic product to 5 per cent, and that was agreed over the weekend. By 2035, allies will spend 3.5 per cent of their GDP on "hard defence" items like weapons and troops, and an additional 1.5 per cent on defence-related investments like cybersecurity and military mobility.  

By Khagan Isayev