German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she and President Trump have a “good working relationship.”
“President Trump and I have developed a good working relationship, which doesn’t rule out having different points of view,” Merkel told a group of German newspapers Saturday, according to Reuters.
“When we talk with each other, for instance, it’s about developing a common strategy for the Ukraine conflict or the horrible war in Syria. It’s also about the fight against terror or the disastrous humanitarian situation in Yemen — all these conflicts are at the doorstep of Europe.”
{mosads}Merkel said that to solve those problems, Germany needs “strong involvement from the United States.”
Merkel visited Washington, D for her first meeting with the president in March.
Trump earlier this month said he had “one of the best chemistries” with Merkel.
“Yeah, it’s funny: One of the best chemistries I had was with Merkel,” Trump told The Associated Press.
“And I guess somebody shouted out, ‘Shake her hand, shake her hand,’ you know. But I never heard it. But I had already shaken her hand four times. You know, because we were together for a long time,” the president added, referencing an exchange where it looked as if Trump was ignoring Merkel’s attempt at a handshake.
During Merkel’s U.S. visit last month, Trump appeared to snub her by not shaking her hands, and made a joke comparing his unfounded claim that President Obama wiretapped him to the 2010 WikiLeaks revelations that the National Security Agency had tapped Merkel’s phone.
Trump has been critical of Merkel, particularly on her support for allowing Syrian refugees into Europe and her backing of the European Union.