Donald Trump ruffles feathers in Brussels with blunt words during NATO visit
Handshake battles, public barging and raised eyebrows all made for an unforgettable, if undiplomatic, visit by the US President.
Thursday 25 May 2017 23:27, UK
It's been a day of acute awkwardness, one of those 'oh-to-be-a-fly-on-the-wall' days - a body language expert's dream.
Donald Trump in Brussels was always going to be a fascinating spectacle.
So many handshakes, so many bilaterals, so many moments ripe for analysis, both light-hearted and serious.
There has been anxiety all week about the visit. From the EU headquarters, to the NATO HQ, and to capitals around the continent, no one has really been quite sure of what message Mr Trump would deliver on this key part of his first foreign trip.
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All anyone has really had to go on is his past pronouncements: Brussels is a "hellhole" (a comment made just after the Brussels terror attacks), NATO is "obsolete" (accompanied by a refusal to unequivocally defend a NATO ally), and Brexit is "a wonderful thing" (followed by predictions that other EU countries will leave too).
He later u-turned on two of those remarks: NATO became "no longer obsolete", the EU became "wonderful" and something he was "totally in favour of".
That's the knowledge base leaders have been armed with for this visit. Don't forget that Mr Trump is yet to appoint ambassadors to many counties. The EU and NATO should both have US ambassadors too, but the posts remain vacant.
And so no chance of the usual protocol of ambassadors meeting and giving each other an idea of their respective bosses thinking.
Safe to say there has been anxiety.
Meeting number one was with the other Donald, Tusk - the European Council President - and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.
The photos were the first 'fly-on-the-wall' moments. They didn't look too happy.
As the meeting was ongoing, and illustrating a worrying grasp of their President's movements and schedule, the State Department tweeted a video of his handshake with Mr Tusk but said, incorrectly, it took place at the NATO meeting.
Afterwards, Mr Tusk said the EU and United States' positions on dealing with Russia's Vladimir Putin, on climate change and on global trade, were not 100% together. The only issue they did apparently agree on was combating terrorism.
They also discussed Brexit. Confusingly, given he thought it was a "wonderful thing", Mr Trump told Mr Tusk that he was in fact worried that Brexit could impact US jobs. It's not immediately clear which US jobs he was referring to.
Mr Trump's second meeting was a lunch with new French President Emmanuel Macron. The American had invited the Frenchman to dine at the US Embassy in Brussels; a chance for the two to get to know each other.
How well did it go? We don't know. We can rely for now on the body language at their photo call - Mr Macron, no doubt aware of Mr Trump's unusual handshaking technique (he likes to hold on and pull towards him), seemed keen to take control of the gesture.
Then came the set-piece event - a summit of all 28 NATO members at the alliance's new headquarters on the edge of Brussels.
Here the levels of nervousness were acute. Mr Trump has repeatedly called for member states to pay their fair share into the alliance's pot.
He's questioned the point of it all and refused to guarantee to defend a NATO member; a huge departure from every previous US president.
The expectation was that he would be more diplomatic this time. A similar message, perhaps, but subtler - at least in public.
The expectation was wrong. With the other leaders watching on, he lobbed a political grenade straight into the new headquarters.
"NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations. But 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defence," Mr Trump said.
"Over the last eight years the US spent more on defence than all other NATO countries combined.
"If all NATO members had spent just 2% of GDP on defence last year, we would have had another $119bn for our collective defence and for the financing of additional NATO reserves."
His point is a fair one as was his call for the alliance to do more to tackle terrorism - backed by a former secretary general of the alliance.
But it was the public and coarse way he said it. This was a blunt businessman speaking, not a diplomatic politician.
As he spoke, the cameras cut to the leaders. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel raised both eyebrows. Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel raised one. French President Emmanuel Macron smiled awkwardly.
Theresa May (whose government does pay its agreed share) looked like thunder.
Mr Trump had a parting shot: "I never asked once what the new NATO headquarters cost. I refuse to do that, but it is beautiful."
Again - a good point.
The building cost just under £1bn to build - over budget and late.
But was the public jibe worth it?
After the speech came the walk around. But for Mr Trump, it was more of a barge around.
In perhaps the most extraordinary moment of the day, he appeared to arm the Prime Minister of Montenegro out of the way.
Perhaps it would be excusable if he was trying quickly to speak to another leader in front. But he wasn't.
Instead, like he did numerous times over the course of the day, he stood, stern-faced and silent, pulling his suit jacket together.
A final thought. Mr Trump made no mention at all of Article 5 of the NATO treaty. That is deeply worrying for the rest of NATO.
Article 5 states that an attack on one member is an attack on the alliance. It pledges unconditional support.
His refusal to explicitly endorse the article ensures ambiguity over the relationship between the alliance and its most powerful member. It's a gift to Russia's President Putin.