Meets with G-7, Nato will move Trump into world diplomatic spotlight

US President Donald Trump's foreign foray enters its second phase this week when he travels to Europe from the Middle East. In so doing, Mr Trump will be moving, for the first time in his presidency, to the top table of global diplomacy with leaders from Nato and the G-7.

Before these important summits, the political leg of the European tour begins in earnest on Wednesday with sessions in Brussels with European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk. These meetings will have added spice given that Mr Trump is the first ever US president to be actively hostile to the Brussels-based club following his encouragement of more countries, following Brexit, to leave.

However, it is the Nato summit on Thursday, and the G-7 on Friday and Saturday, that will be the pinnacle of Mr Trump's international diplomacy fanfare. Only last week, the White House raised the stakes yet again on Nato by threatening that Washington may still choose to leave the organisation unless member states follow through with 2014 pledges to increase their annual contributions to the 68-year-old alliance.