唐纳德·特朗普总统突然退出了计划在伦敦举行的北约领导人会议的新闻发布会,此前周二晚上,一段视频显示,世界各国领导人似乎在嘲笑他。
特朗普的团队没有确认取消此次露面的原因,此次活动原定在伦敦北部的一家乡村酒店举行,但现场的一名国务院官员证实了这一点新闻周刊不会发生的。
总统建议他在与德国总理安格拉·默克尔的双边会谈中尽早离开这个活动。特朗普告诉记者,他“可能”会直接回去...我想我们已经召开了很多记者招待会。”
他接着说了一句自录音再现装置发出的高音解释他的决定。“今天的会议结束后,我将返回华盛顿。我们不会在北约结束时举行新闻发布会,因为我们在过去两天里做了很多。祝大家旅途平安!”
....今天的会议结束后,我将返回华盛顿。我们不会在北约结束时举行记者招待会,因为我们在过去两天里做了很多。祝大家旅途平安!
——唐纳德·特朗普2019年12月4日
提前离开结束了总统动荡的两天,其间他与法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙和加拿大总理贾斯廷·特鲁多发生了口角。
周二晚上,在白金汉宫的一个招待会上,一段视频显示加拿大领导人似乎在拿特朗普和马克龙、英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊和荷兰首相马克·吕特开玩笑,随后与特鲁多发生了争吵。
该视频由加拿大广播公司,显示领导人显然在拿特朗普开玩笑,并指责他夸大其词的周二记者招待会迟到。特鲁多曾告诉其他领导人,在总统讲话时,他看到特朗普的助手“下巴掉在地上”。
周三做出反应,特朗普告诉记者“他是双面的,”指的是特鲁多,他以前和他吵过架。“老实说,特鲁多是个好人,我觉得他是个非常好的人。”
特朗普继续说,“事实是,我打电话给他说,他没有支付2%”,指的是所有北约国家承诺到2024年将其国内生产总值的2%用于军事投资。“我想他对此不太满意,”总统补充道。
特朗普说:“我可以想象他没有那么开心,但事实就是如此。”。
奥巴马周二抵达伦敦后不久,还猛烈抨击了马克龙,回应法国总统的说法,即北约正经历“脑死亡”,原因是成员国之间的优先事项不同。
特朗普——长期以来对联盟持批评态度——说马克龙的言论是“侮辱”和“非常非常恶劣”总统以经济困难和持续的反政府抗议为由暗示法国没有资格批评该集团。
特朗普宣布他决定尽早离开会议,就在秘书长延斯·斯托尔滕贝格称赞北约“铁甲”团结的时候。斯托尔滕贝格说,由29个国家组成的多元化集团之间存在分歧是正常的,但他声称,“大多数时候我们都同意,并达成了共同的结论。”
TRUMP TO LEAVE NATO MEETING EARLY AFTER VIDEO CATCHES WORLD LEADERS APPEARING TO MOCK HIM
President Donald Trump has abruptly pulled out of a planned press conference at the NATO leaders' meeting in London after a video emerged showing fellow world leaders appearing to mock him on Tuesday evening.
Trump's team did not confirm the reason for cancelling the appearance, which was set to close the event at a country hotel to the north of London, however a State Department official on site confirmed to Newsweek it would not be happening.
The president suggested he would leave the event early during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Trump told reporters he would "probably" head "directly back... I think we've done plenty of press conferences."
He followed up with a tweet explaining his decision. "When today's meetings are over, I will be heading back to Washington. We won't be doing a press conference at the close of NATO because we did so many over the past two days. Safe travels to all!"
....When today’s meetings are over, I will be heading back to Washington. We won’t be doing a press conference at the close of NATO because we did so many over the past two days. Safe travels to all!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2019
The early departure closes two turbulent days for the president, during which he engaged in spats with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The falling out with Trudeau came after a video emerged of the Canadian leader appearing to joke about Trump with Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during a reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening.
The video, published by CBC, showed the leaders apparently joking about Trump and blaming his bombastic Tuesday press conferences for arriving late to the event. At one point, Trudeau told fellow leaders he saw Trump's aides' "jaws drop to the floor" while the president was speaking.
Reacting on Wednesday, Trump told reporters, "He's two-faced," referring to Trudeau, with whom he has quarreled before. "And honestly with Trudeau he's a nice guy, I find him to be a very nice guy."
Trump continued, "The truth is that I called him out on the fact that he is not paying 2 percent," referring to the commitment by all NATO states to spend 2 percent of their GDPs on military investments by 2024. "And I guess he's not very happy about it," the president added.
"I can imagine he's not that happy but that's the way it is," Trump said.
The president also lashed out at Macron soon after arriving in London on Tuesday, responding to his French counterpart's assertion that NATO is experiencing "brain death" due to diverging priorities among members.
Trump—a long time critic of the alliance—said Macron's comments were "insulting" and "very, very nasty." The president suggested that France is in no position to criticize the bloc, citing economic difficulties and ongoing anti-government protests.
Trump announced his decision to leave the meeting early just as Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg lauded the "iron clad" unity of NATO. Stoltenberg said that it was normal for a diverse group of 29 nations to have disagreements, but claimed, "Most of the time we agree and we reach common conclusions."