Trump's wrecking ball diplomacy leaves governments from Bonn to Beijing even more perplexed

WASHINGTON - To listen to the chorus of criticism that seems to inevitably trail US President Donald Trump wherever he goes, his latest trip to Europe has undermined ties with allies across the Atlantic, left a bad taste in Britain and handed Russia's poker-faced strongman Vladimir Putin a champagne-and-caviar moment.

Mr Trump returned home to a political tornado over his failure to hold Mr Putin accountable for meddling in the 2016 US election. The backlash prompted him to backtrack on his comments - although begrudgingly - on Tuesday (July 17), but the damage is done.