LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denies he was avoiding being pictured with Donald Trump ahead of a UK election next week, as footage emerged of other leaders mocking the US president.
Johnson met Trump away from the cameras yesterday, before a two-day NATO summit, avoiding the media fanfare that normally accompanies such talks.
He also failed to publicly greet the American president and his wife Melania on the doorstep of Downing Street before a reception with other NATO leaders.
Johnson’s team are wary of what Trump might say during his two-day visit, with Britain set to go to the polls on December 12.
Johnson’s Conservatives are leading opinion polls, but the rival Labour party has sought to whip up public opinion against Trump, who is deeply unpopular in Britain.
Arriving for the formal NATO talks in Watford, north of London, Johnson denies he was trying to avoid being seen with Trump.
“I’m going to be photographed with every possible leader,” he insists, and later poses with the president for an official welcome alongside NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
— AFP
US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) as Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (C) looks on during the NATO summit at the Grove hotel in Watford, northeast of London, December 4, 2019. (Christian Hartmann/Pool/AFP)
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
