German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview Saturday that she has develop a good “working relationship” with President Donald Trump after a rocky start.
Trump has called out Germany for its lack of defense spending and allegedly handed a bill to Merkel during their first meeting in March. Merkel said the two are able to maintain a good dialogue despite their differences. (RELATED: Trump Allegedly Handed Merkel A $370 Billion Bill For NATO)
“President Trump and I have developed a good working relationship, which definitely does not rule out different points of view,” she said in an interview Saturday with the Hannoversche Allgemeine newspaper. “When we talk to each other, it is about developing a common approach in the Ukraine conflict or the terrible war in Syria. It is also about the anti-terrorist struggle or the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen – all conflicts before the European doorstep.”
Merkel acknowledged that U.S. cooperation is crucial for Europe to solve the issues.
“If we want to solve them, if we want to help people, we need the strong commitment of the U.S.,” Merkel said.
Merkel consulted Henry Kissinger, the German-born former U.S. secretary of state, on how to improve relations with Trump, a source told Time. Kissinger allegedly advised the chancellory to go through Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump.
Merkel invited Ivanka Trump to Berlin for the Women20 summit last week.
“I was also delighted that Ivanka Trump has been here and has been a part of the G20 process at the Women20 Dialogue Forum,” Merkel told the Hannoversche Allgemeine newspaper.
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