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‘i’m Leaving,’ Trump Said. ‘there’s No Reason To Be Here Any More’: Inside The Meeting That Brought Nato To The Brink

Former secretary general Jens Stoltenberg recalls the rollercoaster ride of dealing with Donald Trump – and how close the US president brought the alliance to the point of collapse

No other nation means more for what Nato is than the United States. It holds a unique position among member states due to its political, economic and military weight. Which is why the forces that dominate American politics – and who is in the White House – are such decisive factors. The presidential election in November 2016 was therefore not only important to the US, but also to all of Nato.

For the first six months of 2016, Hillary Clinton was ahead in every poll. By autumn, election experts were predicting her victory. I, too, had a gut feeling this would be the outcome. On election night, my wife Ingrid and I arranged a party with friends and colleagues at the residence in Brussels. We rigged up a large television in the living room, and hamburgers were served. A long day lay ahead, so I turned in before midnight.

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‘i’m Leaving,’ Trump Said. ‘there’s No Reason To Be Here Any More’: Inside The Meeting That Brought Nato To The Brink

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