French President Emmanuel Macron leaves after his speech during a special congress gathering both the upper and lower houses of the French parliament (National Assembly and Senate) in Versailles near Paris, France, July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron believes a weakening of the trans-Atlantic alliance will be more costly in the long run for its members, an official in the Elysee Palace said on Wednesday, amid divisions over U.S. calls for European states to contribute more.

Allies of President Donald Trump hope he will agree to step up the West’s deterrence on Russia, while the U.S. leader has repeatedly said the United States pays an outsized contribution to NATO.