Theresa May appeals to Nato for unity against terrorism

Theresa May has travelled to Brussels to appeal to Nato leaders for unity in the fight against terrorism.

The Prime Minister is set to add the UK's backing to a call by Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg for the alliance to join the US-led coalition against Islamic State.

At a summit in the Belgian capital today the Prime Minister "will also bracket Russia alongside terrorism as a shared threat that the military alliance must face down," says The Times.

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Many of the bloc's members already play a part in the coalition campaign "but the formal backing of Nato in the fight against terror would be seen as symbolically important," says the Daily Telegraph.

"It would mean that the alliance would have a seat at the table in discussions about the campaign and would help to co-ordinate the assistance Nato is giving," adds The Times.

May was due to say: "A strong, capable and united Nato is at the heart of the security of each and every one of our nations.

"Our unity in responding to common threats is our most potent weapon.

"We must redouble our resolve to meet the threats to our shared society, whether from terrorism or from Russia."

May was also expected to express her gratitude for the support of Nato allies following the "callous and cowardly" attack in Manchester on Monday.

There will be another issue on May's agenda – that of the consistent leaking of British intelligence to the US media by American intelligence services. In a speech before she left for Brussels, May said: "I will tell Donald Trump that intelligence shared between our two nations must remain secure."

While Nato summits are usually "pretty staid affairs, filled with pious speeches about the sanctity of the Atlantic alliance and polite grumbling over who's not pulling their weight," says Bloomberg, this year will be remarkably different.

"It's hard to overstate how serious this might become," the broadcaster adds.

"The leaks feel like a betrayal to the Brits" and Trump "hasn't helped himself" by "apparently sharing Israeli intelligence with the Russians last month."

The Times reports that the Prime Minister will "cut short her attendance at a second summit, that of the G7 group of the world's leading industrialised nations, because of the heightened threat of further attacks in Britain."