Meetings, protests await Trump in Europe

President Donald Trump headed to Europe Tuesday for a seven-day trip that will conclude with a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. First on the agenda is a two-day NATO summit in Brussels. At last year’s summit, Trump rebuked allies for leaving the United States to cover more than 71 percent of NATO’s defense costs. Only four countries had met the goal of spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. After the summit, Trump will stop briefly in London to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II. A two-day summit in Helsinki, Finland, kicks off the following week with the meeting between Trump and Putin. Anti-Trump protesters gathered in Belgium last Saturday, and more protests are planned in London, where a 20-foot tall “Trump Baby” helium balloon will accompany crowds. Protests are also planned in Scotland and Finland. Trump will return to Washington, D.C., July 16.