At a recent NATO summit held in the Netherlands, world leaders may have kept their voices low — but not low enough to escape the keen eyes of expert lip reader Nicola Hickling. What she uncovered was both eyebrow-raising and politically explosive.
According to Hickling, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof were caught on camera engaging in what appeared to be a derisive conversation about former U.S. President Donald Trump. The trio’s body language — squinting, leaning in, exchanging glances — only added fuel to what Hickling decoded.
In a moment that stood out, Rutte reportedly asked Milanovic, “Did you get together at all?” to which Milanovic sarcastically responded, “This is the Prime Minister of the USA. What a tosser. He wants to meet in France and speak there.” The term “tosser,” while informal, is a particularly derogatory insult in European English, roughly translating to “idiot” or “jerk.”
The exchange didn’t stop there. A surprised Schoof asked, “Are you mad?” Milanovic shrugged off the concern with a vague, “It depends what he wants.” Schoof reiterated his disbelief with a repeated, “You are mad,” to which Milanovic replied gravely, “Obviously it affects the world, doesn’t it?” Rutte agreed: “Yes, it does.”
These private murmurs occurred against the backdrop of growing global concern over Trump’s recent remarks — particularly his cryptic and shifting stance on NATO’s Article 5, which is the alliance’s cornerstone promise that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the summit, Trump offered an ambiguous explanation of Article 5, saying: “There’s numerous definitions of Article 5… But I’m committed to being their friends.” He added that he would elaborate once at the summit — a promise many believe he didn’t quite fulfill.
Nicola Hickling, who runs a lip-reading consultancy and works with lawyers and historians, says she’s used to decoding the silent dynamics of high-stakes events — but this one, she admitted, stood out due to the level of unfiltered emotion and the subject involved.
With Trump eyeing a political comeback and the world closely watching U.S. leadership, these quiet exchanges among allies may be louder than any speech delivered at the podium.
Discover more from The Doon Mozaic
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
