VIDEO: Trump pushes on terror, listens on climate at G-7 meeting

US President Donald Trump, right, reacts as he sits next to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, centre and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they participate in a working dinner meeting, during the NATO summit of heads of state and government, at the NATO headquarters, in Brussels on Thursday, May 25, 2017. US President Donald Trump inaugurated the new headquarters during a ceremony on Thursday with other heads of state and government. (Thierry Charlier/Pool Photo via AP)
US President Donald Trump, right, reacts as he sits next to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, centre and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they participate in a working dinner meeting, during the NATO summit of heads of state and government, at the NATO headquarters, in Brussels on Thursday, May 25, 2017. US President Donald Trump inaugurated the new headquarters during a ceremony on Thursday with other heads of state and government. (Thierry Charlier/Pool Photo via AP)

TAORMINA, Italy — In the Middle East, President Donald Trump was feted with pageantry.

He faced a far cooler reception in Europe, where he has gone on the offensive, including a criticism of some of the United States' closest allies. But Trump also showed signs Friday that he might be willing to deal.

Trump spent much of the day in meetings in Italy, demanding that the world's wealthiest nations to do more to fight terror while listening to their urgings about the need to stay in the Paris climate agreement. Trump, who denounced the deal during the campaign, has since said he's waiting to make a final decision.

Gary Cohn, Trump's top economic adviser, said Trump is listening to the views of his world counterparts on the issue.

Trump also held one-on-one meetings with the leaders of Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany. The meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel came a day after Trump reportedly called Germans "bad." Cohn stressed Friday that Trump was simply being critical of a U.S. trade deal with Germany.

Cohn said Trump also understood that Germany was bound by European Union rules and could not unilaterally change its trade policies. Trade was a big topic, with Cohn saying the United States' guiding principle will be "we will treat you the way you treat us," suggesting that retaliatory tariffs could be imposed.

Trump's meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, came a day after he vowed to investigate an intelligence leak blamed on the Americans about this week's deadly bombing at a concert in England that prompted Manchester police to stop sharing intelligence with the United States.

May said she raised the leak issue with Trump and he "made clear that it was unacceptable." She said British police had received assurances from the FBI and that intelligence sharing had resumed.

The summit opened in the shadow of Trump's appearance at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he scolded some of the United States' allies for not paying their fair share to the alliance. Trump also refused to explicitly back the mutual defense agreement the alliance has activated once, on 9/11.

The specter of Russia shadowed the meetings, though Cohn said Friday that the president was not considering easing sanctions on Russia. Cohn had suggested on Thursday that Trump might consider such a move.

In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump warned anew about the threat posed by North Korea.

"It's a big problem, it's a world problem, but it will be solved at some point. It will be solved, you can bet on that," Trump said. North Korea has conducted a series of recent missile tests, rattling its Pacific neighbors.

Foreign policy was the focus Friday, with meetings on Syria, Libya, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Other meetings over the two days will include discussions of global economy and climate, a meeting with small African nations — Trump will be seated between the leaders of Niger and Tunisia — and migration issues.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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