President Trump welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House on Friday for a visit of less than three hours — and the two…
President Trump welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House on Friday for a visit of less than three hours — and the two later discussed their views on trade, the iran nuclear deal and the fight against terrorism.
The commander-in-chief greeted Merkel outside the West Wing with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek, a traditional welcome but far short of the extravagant display of personal warmth that was seen earlier in the week when he played host to French President Emmanuel Macron for a lavish three-day state visit.
Trump, in brief remarks alongside Merkel in the Oval Office, called her an “extraordinary woman,” congratulated her on her recent re-election and disputed any idea that their rapport was frosty.
“We have a really great relationship. We actually have had a great relationship from the beginning,” Trump said.
Later, during a brief joint news conference, a stone-faced Merkel echoed Macron’s support for the Iran nuclear deal, but like the Frrench president said it was a solid start that could be improved to address US and NATO concerns.
But Trump wouldn’t show his hand on whether he still plans to pull out of the deal next month — and issued an ominous warning to the Islamic republic.
“They’re not going to be doing nuclear weapons, you can bank on it,” he said.
Trump complained again about the trade imbalance between the US and EU, something Merkel said the two countries could work to improve.
Asked about Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, and whether the EU would be exempt, the German chancellor frostily replied,“The decision lies with the President.”
In the joint press conference Friday afternoon, it was apparent that despite the back-to-back visits, Trump’s divisions with Europe are still substantial.
Trump scolded Germany for not meeting its defense spending obligations to NATO, saying, it is “essential that our NATO allies increase their financial contribution,” to the pact.
Merkel said Germany’s latest budget will take defense spending to 1.3 percent of GDP. She acknowledged that’s far short of the 2 percent goal but said Germany is still aiming for that over time.
They both agreed on the urgency of combating terrorism in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and the need for vigilance to counter Russia’s expansionist ambitions in Ukraine and the Baltic States.
