Trump's NATO debut does little to assure allies

US President Donald Trump welcomes Montenegro to the military alliance by appearing to shove Prime Minister Dusko Markovic in order to secure a front row berth. Montenegro will formally join NATO next month, although it may already feel pressured to increase its military spending, which currently stands at 1.6 percent of GDP.

The president was invited to unveil NATO's new 9/11 memorial. However, instead of using his speech to play up unity, Trump scolded allies for owing "massive amounts of money" to the US and NATO. Members have set a 2 percent of GDP defense spending "guideline," although the contributions are supposed to be voluntary.

Trump's 10-minute tirade on defense spending appeared to be greeted with snickering and eye-rolling. An illustration of America's new standing in the world?

Leaked comments obtained by German media reveal that Trump told European leaders that Germany was being unfair with its trade arrangements and decried its surplus. "The Germans are bad, very bad," German weekly Der Spiegel quoted Trump as saying. "Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. Terrible! We'll stop that."

Trump met with France's newly elected president, Emmanuel Macron, at the US ambassador's Brussels residence. As a life-long businessman, Trump's handshakes are seen as one of his key power moves. Palms dried and jaws clenched, Macron didn't appear prepared to grant him that victory as the leaders embarked on what's been coined "the world's longest handshake."

British Prime Minister Theresa May is reported to have voiced her anger and dismay after US officials leaked details over the identity of the Manchester suicide bomber. The leak led British authorities to halt intelligence-sharing with the US for around 24 hours. The breech also comes just weeks after Trump himself divulged secret intelligence to senior Russian emissaries.

If Trump had sought to assure allies of his commitment to NATO, neglecting to affirm Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty - which stipulates that members treat an attack against one ally as an attack against all - wouldn't have helped. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the president did mention the Russian threat on NATO's eastern border.