OSAKA, Japan — U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to focus on the worlds problems, perhaps as a way of limiting discussion on their own tensions.
In a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit here in Osaka, Japan, Trump and Merkel centered their comments on problems in other nations: Libya and the Sahel region of Africa, eastern Ukraine and Iran. They also addressed the trade issues between the EU and the U.S.
According to the White House, Trump and Merkel discussed “a wide range of issues, including Irans dangerous activity in the Middle East.”
According to Merkels spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, that part of the conversation was on “the U.S. conflict with Iran.”
The differences in the readouts between the White Houses version and the German chancellerys hinted at the deep, ongoing stress in U.S.-German dealings. The relationship has soured significantly since Trump took office and began relentlessly bashing Berlin over military spending and what he believes is an unfair trade imbalance.
Trump has also slammed Germany over its support for construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which he contends will only increase European dependence on Russian natural gas.
But when he spoke to reporters after their meeting, Trump seemed to minimize any conflict and praised Merkel with his usual over-the-top exaggeration, calling her “a great friend of mine.”
