Nato chief says Trump-Putin meeting would not contradict policy

The Nato secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, has brushed aside fears a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin would undermine the organisation.

Speaking in London, he said such a meeting would not be contradictory to Nato policy. Nato, he said, was in favour of dialogue with Russia, and the leaders of other Nato countries had met Putin.

The Nato chief’s response came after days of speculation that Trump would see Putin during his visit to Europe next month to attend a Nato summit and visit the UK.

Neither the White House nor the Kremlin has confirmed such a meeting. The White House has said it is exploring whether one can be arranged.

The UK government is concerned such a meeting will send the wrong signal to Russia after the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Questioned about Trump meeting Putin, Stoltenberg said: “To meet President Putin is not in any way contradictory to Nato policies … Several Nato leaders have met Putin.”

Stoltenberg said he had met the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. A Nato-Russia body suspended after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 is meeting again to try to avoid any mishaps escalating into war.

“We do not want a new cold war. We do not want a new arms race. We want to talk to Russia,” Stoltenberg said.

The Nato summit is a source of anxiety for European members worried Trump could create disarray as he did at the end of the G7 summit in Canada.

The big concern is Trump could pull out in a fit of temper over the failure of Europeans to increase defence spending, though his generals, who value Nato, would be opposed.

Stoltenberg said he could not promise there would not be rhetoric at the summit and that Trump would be direct. But he had met him at the White House and believed he remained committed to Nato.

The Nato chief said Trump’s threats had crystalised the spending debate, with more European countries expected to raise spending to 2% of GDP.