STRASBOURG, FRANCE — In a variation on his unfolding message to Europe, President Obama said Friday that the U.S. has at times displayed arrogance but appealed to Europeans to set aside their own "insidious" anti-American biases in favor of transatlantic friendship.
Still, as leaders of NATO gathered for today's summit marking the 60th anniversary of the alliance, Obama's campaign did not seem to be producing the concrete results that he sought -- in particular, new commitments for help in Afghanistan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who together are hosting the summit along the border between their countries, expressed support Friday for the Obama administration's new strategy of sending extra American troops and strengthening Afghan forces. But they offered no new troops of their own.
Obama arrived in Strasbourg from the Group of 20 summit in London, which focused on the global economic crisis.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit could be more difficult for Obama, in part because of Afghanistan. Other touchy issues include strains over the alliance's future in the face of growing Russian irritation. And members this week confronted differences over choosing a new NATO leader.
Turkish officials object to the selection of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who spoke out in favor of press freedom after a Danish newspaper in 2005 published a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad, enraging Muslims.
During his European trip, Obama has employed a strategy well honed at home: interspersing high-level meetings with leaders with pep rallies catering directly to their bases of support.
On Friday, the president held a town hall meeting in a sports arena where hundreds of screaming teenagers lavished Obama with a public display of approval. Televised images could easily be viewed by the NATO summit hosts.
In the U.S., Obama told the crowd, there has been a failure to appreciate the "leading role" Europe plays in the world.
"Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive," he said.
Obama did not explicitly refer to former President George W. Bush, frequently accused of a unilateral approach to foreign relations that angered allies. But Obama did not lay all the blame on U.S. attitudes.
