TRUMP, MERKEL IN
Stark differences in trade, immigration policies exposed
Two men helping a woman cross a flooded street in Huachipa, Peru, on Friday. They are holding onto the rope to avoid being washed away by torrents of muddy water from the Huayco River.
WASHINGTON
STARK differences between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on everything from trade to immigration were in full view during an icy first meeting at the White House on Friday.
In an awkward press conference, Trump and Merkel showed little common ground as they addressed a host of thorny issues including the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), defence spending and free trade deals.
For most of the 30 minutes, Merkel was stony-faced as Trump ripped into Washington’s Nato allies for not paying for their “fair share” for transatlantic defence and demanded “fair and reciprocal trade” deals.
Merkel had hoped to reverse a chill in relations after Trump’s incendiary election rhetoric.
The visit began cordially, with the pair shaking hands at the entrance of the White House.
But later, sitting side-by-side in the Oval Office, Merkel’s suggestion
MARCH 19, 2017