Trump says yes to Merkel on G20 invite
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed issues ranging from Nato to Russia to the situation in the Middle East during a 45-minute telephone call at the weekend, their first since the Republican’s inauguration.
The conversation on Saturday affirmed the importance of close German-American co-operation to each country’s security, the White House said.
Trump accepted Merkel’s invitation to attend the G20 summit in Hamburg in July.
The talk between the two leaders came an hour before Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence and other top officials spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump spoke later with French President Francois Hollande.
Merkel has pushed the US to maintain sanctions on Russia over its incursion into Ukraine. Trump, however, has mooted the lifting of penalties imposed over Russia in exchange for a nuclear weapons pact or help fighting terrorist groups like Islamic State. The conversation with Merkel came a day after Trump halted the US refugee programme and suspended immigration from seven mainly Muslim countries.
In an interview with the Times of London earlier this month, Trump said Merkel had made “one catastrophic mistake” by allowing the entry of “illegals” fleeing wartorn countries in the Middle East.
He has also suggested that Nato is obsolete, while Merkel has been a strong supporter of the group.
The two leaders agreed on Nato’s role in ensuring the peace and stability of the North Atlantic community and the need to strengthen co-operation in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the White House said. – Bloomberg