Trump won’t shake on it with Merkel

Donald Trump refused to shake hands with Angela Merkel on Friday as a first meeting between the two leaders, which was postponed from Tuesday because of snow, got off to a frosty start.

The German chancellor and US president posed for the press in the Oval Office, and photographers could be heard calling for the two to shake hands. Merkel turned and smiled at her host, asking him: "Do you want to have a handshake?"

But Trump, who had appeared to hold hands with UK Prime Minister Theresa May when they walked together during her White House visit in January, looked down at the floor and avoided all eye contact with his guest.

story_article_left1

Merkel grimaced slightly but soon brushed off the awkward incident and began the task of attempting to build a new transatlantic partnership, quipping in their later press conference that the two leaders "will work together hand in hand".

Trump reassured her that his administration would "respect historic institutions", amid fears in Europe that he could scale back US military support for Nato. But he insisted that allies "must pay what they owe".

Trump said: "I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for Nato as well as the need for our Nato allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence."

Merkel responded by saying that Germany needed to meet Nato spending goals.

The two agreed on the need for co-operating in the fight against Islamic State terrorists in Syria, Iraq and Libya and support the peace process in Ukraine.

Merkel emphasised the importance of improving relations with Russia, and Trump was thought to have sought ideas from her on how to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin . She also delivered a defence of globalisation, and said she hoped the US and the EU could resume discussions on a trade agreement.

Trump rejected accusations that his "America First" agenda was isolationist, and said he was only trying to improve trade deals to protect US interests, rather than pull back from the world entirely.

A reporter's question about his supposed isolationism angered Trump. He shot back: "I don't know what newspaper you're reading, but I guess that would be an example of fake news."

mini_story_image_hright1

Attempting to strike a positive tone, Merkel said it had been "much better to talk to one another than about one another".

The visit represented an opportunity for the two leaders to reset their early relationship.

On the campaign trail, Trump called Merkel's migration policy "catastrophic", saying she "should be ashamed" for "ruining" Germany.

He also lashed out at Time magazine when it named Merkel person of the year in 2015 instead of him.

She has been a strident critic of Trump's Muslim travel ban and the plan to build a wall on the Mexican border. She also took it upon herself to explain the Geneva Convention to him.

The German chancellor enjoyed a warm friendship with former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush.

Merkel had prepared carefully for the meeting, watching Trump's speeches, speaking to people who have met him and even studying a 1990 Playboy interview with him .

The visit was a tightrope walk for her, between building a partnership built on strong economic and security co-operation - especially in the context of Russia's bullishness - and representing her values and those of the German people.

She is in a battle to win re-election for a fourth term later this year in Germany, where Trump's low popularity ratings are on a par with Putin's.