German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of trans-Atlantic ties at a press conference on Friday. Iran, trade and defense spending were high on the agenda.
Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
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Trump welcomes Germany's Merkel at the White House
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US President Donald Trump afforded German Chancellor Angela Merkel a warm welcome at the White House Friday, calling her an "extraordinary woman."
But Merkel's "working trip," which follows French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the United States, did not appear to bring significant progress on a range of disagreements, including US tariffs and Trump's opposition to the Iran nuclear deal.
After a stiff first encounter with US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's second visit to the White House had a much more positive vibe.
Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
Cold start
President Donald Trump appeared standoffish in front of the cameras when he welcomed Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House last March. The US president refused to extend a hand to the chancellor in front of media at the Oval Office, a stiff image that defined their first encounter.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
Kiss and make up?
Merkel and Trump had a much more friendly aura when the two met in Washington for the second time, greeting each other with a cordial kiss on the cheek when the German chancellor arrived at the White House.
Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
Shaken, not spurned
A year after their uncomfortable photo op, Trump and Merkel provided the public with their long-awaited handshake. In fact, it was Trump who extended his hand to Merkel this time around.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
Seeing eye to eye?
Trump called Merkel an "extraordinary woman" when the two addressed media on Friday. But the two are still ironing out some disagreements, including what to do about the Iran nuclear deal and whether the US will continue an EU tariff exemption on steel and aluminum imports.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
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What they said:
Iran: Trump said, "We must make sure that this murderous regime does not get nuclear weapons." Merkel said the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran was a "first step" toward curtailing Iran's ambitions in the Middle East. "But we also think ... that this is not sufficient in order to see to it that Iran's ambitions are curbed and contained," she added.
US tariffs: Merkel said the two leaders had "an exchange of views" on whether the US would extend an EU exemption for US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, but gave no further details. "The decision [on whether to grant the extension] lies with the president," she said.
Defense spending: Trump said NATO allies need to "spend 2 percent and hopefully much more of GDP on defense," he added without explicitly mentioning Germany. Merkel said that Germany's defense budget would increase in 2019 and that it was on its way to meeting the 2 percent goal.
Trade deficits: Trump said the US wants "fair and reciprocal" trade with European countries and cited the US trade deficit with the European Union. Merkel said Germany wanted "fair trade" in line with global trading rules. She also hinted at opening negotiations on a bilateral US-EU trade deal.
North Korea: Trump thanked Merkel for helping the US in its "maximum pressure" campaign toward North Korea. He added that the US is "not going to be played" in peace talks with Pyongyang. Merkel credited Trump for remaining vigilant in maintaining sanctions on North Korea and said she would work with Trump to stop the North's nuclear program.
The US enacted tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in late March, but temporarily exempted European imports from the measures at the last minute. Germany's exporting companies called on Merkel to convince Washington to maintain the exemption beyond May 1.
Donald Trump on Germany: Top quotes
The US president has offered praise and dished out criticism of Germany. Whether describing the chancellor as "the greatest" or claiming Berlin owes "vast sums of money" to the US, here are his most memorable quotes.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/C. May
The good, the bad and the ugly
US President Donald Trump has offered both candid praise and unabashed criticism of Germany and its policies. From calling German Chancellor Angela Merkel "possibly the greatest world leader" to describing her open-door refugee policy as a "catastrophic mistake," here are his most memorable quotes regarding Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/C. May
'Greatest'
"Germany's like sitting back silent, collecting money and making a fortune with probably the greatest leader in the world today, Merkel," Trump said in a 2015 interview with US news magazine Time.
Image: Picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Schreiber
'Very bad'
"The Germans are bad, very bad ... Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. Terrible. We'll stop that," Trump said during a NATO leaders summit, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel, which cited sources at the alliance's meeting.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/E. Vucci
'Something in common'
"As far as wiretapping, I guess, by - you know - [the Obama] administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps," Trump said in March during a press conference with Merkel. He was referring to his unproven allegations that ex-President Barack Obama tapped his phone. There was widespread anger in Germany in 2013 when it was revealed the US National Security Agency tapped Merkel's phone.
Image: Picture alliance/R. Sachs/CNP
'Illegals'
"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals (sic), you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said in a joint interview published by German daily Bild and British newspaper The Times, referring to Merkel's open-door policy for refugees fleeing war and persecution.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
'Germany owes vast sums of money'
"Despite what you have heard from the fake news, I had a great meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany," Trump said in a two-tweet statement after meeting with Merkel for the first time in March 2017.
Image: Picture alliance/dpa/L. Mirgeler
'Turning their backs'
"The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition," Trump tweeted in the midst of a row within the German goverment. He went on to claim that: "Crime in Germany is way up. Big mistake made all over Europe in allowing millions of people in who have so strongly and violently changed their culture!"
Image: AFP/Getty Images/L. Marin
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Protecting the Iran deal from Trump
Trump has repeatedly criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and threatened to withdraw the US from it unless changes are made by May 12. The agreement suspended international sanctions in return for Iran promising to halt its nuclear program. Merkel and Macron want to save the deal.
Chancellor Angela Merkel during a joint press conference with President Donald TrumpImage: Getty Images/AFP/B. Smialowski
Merkel's gift
During her visit, Merkel gifted Trump a framed map created in 1705 that depicts the Palatinate region in western Germany. Some of Trump's ancestors emigrated from the city of Kallstadt in the region to the United States.
Merkel's cheeseburger
The German chancellor ate a cheeseburger with bacon and french fries after she arrived in Washington on Thursday evening, according to a waiter from J. Paul's restaurant. The waiter, who told German broadcaster n-tv about the meal, said Merkel washed it all down with a pinot grigio.
