Donald Trump faces new controversies as foreign trip winds down

US President Donald Trump faced new controversies over his team’s possible ties to Russia as he ended his first foreign trip on Saturday.

The five-stop sprint ended with the promise of an imminent decision on the much-discussed Paris climate accord.

Mr Trump tweeted that he would make a final decision next week on whether to withdraw from the pact.

European leaders have been pressuring Mr Trump to stay in the accord during their meetings with him this week, arguing that America’s leadership on climate is crucial.

Following a second day of meetings at the G7 summit in Sicily and remarks to US troops stationed at a nearby air base, Mr Trump was returning to Washington and a new crush of Russia-related controversies.

On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Mr Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner spoke to Russia’s ambassador to the US about setting up secret communications with Moscow.

Mr Trump has held no news conferences during the nine-day trip, allowing him to avoid questions about the Russia investigations.

His top economic and national security advisers refused to answer questions during a press briefing on Saturday.

The White House had hoped to use Mr Trump’s trip as a moment to reset. The president was warmly received on his opening stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel, though he has come under more pressure in Europe, particularly over the Paris accord.

Mr Trump was cajoled for three days, first in Brussels at meetings of Nato and the European Union, then in Sicily for G7, but will leave Italy without making clear where he stands.

As the G7 summit came to a close on Saturday, the six other members – Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan – renewed their commitment to the accord.

The summit’s communique noted that the Trump administration would take more time to consider whether it will remain committed to the 2015 Paris deal to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.

Backing out of the climate accord had been a central plank of Mr Trump’s campaign and aides have been exploring whether they can adjust the framework of the deal even if they do not opt out entirely.

Other G7 nations leaned heavily on Mr Trump to stay in the climate deal, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying “we put forward very many arguments”.

The president’s trip has largely gone off without a major misstep, with the administration touting the president’s efforts to birth a new coalition to fight terrorism, while admonishing partners in the Nato alliance to pay their fair share.

But after the pomp of presidential travel overseas, Mr Trump will return to Washington to find the same problems that have dogged him.

James Comey, the former FBI director leading the Russian probe until Mr Trump abruptly fired him, is still expected to testify before Congress about memos he kept on conversations with the president that involved the investigation.