INTRO:
US President Donald Trump has taken a hard line on his NATO allies while he continued his foreign tour.
His message while attending the NATO summit in Brussels is Europe has to pay more on defense.
Our Europe Correspondent Jack Parrock has more from new NATO Headquarters.
IN: US president...
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DUR: 2 min 35 secs
PACKAGE:
US President Donald Trump arrives at the brand new NATO headquarters—and is quick to criticize.
BITE: Donald Trump/US President
"NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations"
"And I never asked once what the new NATO headquarters cost. I refuse to do that. But it is beautiful."
REPORTER VO:
President Trump doesn't want to know the price tag because how NATO allies spend their money has been one of his consistent complaints.
Out of NATO's 28 members, only the US and four others meet the alliance's defense spending targets.
And while the president's persistence on this issue irks some European allies, NATO's Secretary General agrees members must spend more with terrorism being a worldwide threat.
BITE: Jens Stoltenberg/NATO Secretary General
"Several NATO allies also expressed that we have to invest in defence not just to please the United States, but we have to invest because it is in our interest to do so"
REPORTER VO:
Earlier the president briefly met with the European Union's top brass.
Handshakes and smiles were exchanged…but serious differences now exist between leaders of the US and EU…
BITE: Donald Tusk/European Council President
"I'm not 100 percent sure we can say today, we means the president and myself, that we have a common position, common opinion about Russia."
REPORTER VO:
Because of President Trump's past praise of Vladimir Putin, and his tough talk on migrants and minorities—protestors were out in mass when he arrived here in Brussels.
But those who study the longtime bond between America and Europe say even the unconventional Trump presidency can't break that transatlantic tie.
BITE: Ian Lesser - German Marshal Foundation
"I mean there is a high degree of unpredictability here for sure, there's a lot of the relationship whether its business or security and it's not going away no matter who is president."
REPORTER VO:
So despite disagreements with some European leaders, and disdain from some in the European public—strong ties with the US are likely to continue.
Some of the discussions President Trump had here in Brussels will follow him to his next stop: Sicily. He's finishing his foreign tour there at the G-7 meeting. G-7 leaders are sure to talk more about relations with Russia, and how President Trump's "America First" stance is reshaping US foreign policy.
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