STRASBOURG – President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and two dozen other NATO leaders walked across a bridge separating Germany and France in a moment of symbolic unity Saturday ahead of a summit likely to see disagreements about
Afghanistan and the alliance's future.

The European allies have pledged a marginal increase in forces keyed to preparations for Afghanistan's national elections in August. The Obama administration has said it cannot shoulder the military burden alone, but it is now pinning its main hopes on more civilian
contributions from Europe, particularly police trainers.

NATO's ability to succeed in Afghanistan is seen as a crucial test of the power and relevance of a 60-year-old alliance founded to counterbalance the Soviet Union but now fighting a rising insurgency far beyond its borders. Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have enthusiastically endorsed Obama's new Afghan strategy but European leaders and voters remain deeply skeptical about whether more troops can stabilize a country devastated by decades of war.

At the summit's opening on Friday, Obama promised to repair damaged relations with Europe and asked for support of his new strategy, which has him adding 21,000 U.S. troops to the force of 38,000 struggling against Taliban advances alongside a like number of European, Canadian and non-NATO forces

"We totally endorse and support America's new strategy in Afghanistan," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Obama after they met. He said France would contribute with development assistance and more training for police, Sarkozy said.

After her own talks with the president, Merkel said: "We have a great responsibility here. We want to carry our share of the responsibility militarily, in the area of civil reconstruction and in police training."

British officials traveling to the summit with Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters aboard his plane that Brown will offer to send more troops to Afghanistan but that depended upon other NATO members being prepared to send additional forces, Britain's Press
Association reported. Officials said the number would likely be in the "mid to high hundreds."

Britain has 8,000 troops in Afghanistan.