Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images(BERLIN) — Speaking to reporters at her annual summer press conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel opined on U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other newsworthy topics.
Merkel addressed President Trump’s comments earlier in the week that the European Union was a foe of the United States. “We have to get over it,” Merkel said, “because we see the U.S. as a very important partner.”
She did acknowledge President Trump’s aggression towards Germany, dryly telling reporters that she has “taken note of it.” She also criticized President Trump’s trade policies, especially the tariffs he has imposed.
“We see these tariffs as real danger for the prosperity of many all over the world,” Merkel said. She went on to cite the multilateral work that pulled the global economy out of financial crisis in 2007 and 2008.”
Merkel did, though, offer some support for one of President Trump’s recent moves. Merkel said she was glad that Trump invited Vladimir Putin to Washington this fall, saying “such discussions are always good for everyone.”
Merkel noted that no Russian president has visited the U.S. since 2005, something she says “shouldn’t be the norm.”
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