NATO is considering ending its recent practice of holding annual summits, six sources told Reuters, a move that could avoid a potentially tense encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump in his final year in office, writes Reutes.

"Trump`s administration has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of the U.S.-led defence alliance`s 31 other members, most recently berating some for not providing more assistance to U.S. military operations against Iran.

The frequency of NATO summits has varied over the alliance`s 77-year history but its leaders have met every summer since 2021 and will gather this year in the Turkish capital Ankara on July 7 and 8. But some members are pushing to slow the tempo, a senior European official and five diplomats, all from NATO member countries, told Reuters.

One diplomat said the 2027 summit, to be held in Albania, would ⁠likely take place that autumn and NATO was considering not holding one at all in 2028 - the year of the U.S. presidential election and Trump`s final full calendar year in office. Another said some countries were pushing to hold summits every two years, adding that no decision had been taken and Secretary General Mark Rutte would have the final say.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal NATO deliberations. In response to a query from Reuters, a NATO official said: "NATO will continue to hold regular meetings of Heads of State and Government, and between summits NATO Allies will continue to consult, plan and take decisions about our shared security".

Two of the sources mentioned Trump as a factor but several said broader considerations were at play. Some diplomats and analysts have long argued that annual summits create pressure for eye-catching results that distracts from longer-term planning. "Better to have fewer summits than bad summits", said one diplomat. "We have our work cut out for us anyway, we know what we have to do".

Another said the quality of discussions and decisions was the ⁠true measure of alliance strength.