timosman
06-09-2018, 02:55 PM
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trump-fails-to-name-theresa-may-in-g7-summit-tribute-to-world-leaders-87xqsmprc
June 9 2018
https://rp-online.de/imgs/32/2/7/4/8/6/6/9/1/DPA_bfunk_dpa_5F99920036C4E803-168a17fd68dd097a.jpg
Angela Merkel leans forward to make her point as President Trump listens and other G7 leaders look on
Donald Trump appeared to snub Theresa May when he forgot to mention her as he paid tribute to fellow world leaders at the end of a turbulent G7 summit in Canada.
Despite clashing with world leaders over trade, the environment and Russia, the US president rated his relationship with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, as a ten out of ten.
However, he failed to mention Mrs May, whose “schoolmistress tone” has reportedly irritated him.
Speaking about his relationship with America’s leading allies, Mr Trump said: “I would say that the level of relationships is a ten — we have a great relationship. Angela (Merkel) and Emmanuel (Macron) and Justin (Trudeau) — I would say the relationship is a ten.”
The G7 summit in Quebec has been overshadowed by a bitter trade war as the president made it clear he was not prepared to concede ground over steel and aluminium tariffs.
Yesterday in his press conference, Mr Trump ratcheted up the pressure on European leaders, who have threatened to hit the US with retaliatory tariffs, by accusing them of “robbing” the US and treating it like a “piggy bank”.
He said that the US has been “taken advantage of for decades and decades” and warned the European Union that it would be a “mistake” to start a trade war with the US, adding: “We can’t lose, the numbers are so astronomically against them. We win that war 1,000 times out of 1,000.”
He said that the US is the “piggy bank that everybody’s robbing”, adding: “That will change.”
Mr Trump said that the US was fighting for a free trade system with “no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies”.
According to reports, the other world leaders were taken aback by the suggestion and not sure how serious Mr Trump was about it. The president alluded to the surprise during the press conference, adding: “People were . . . I guess they gotta go back to the drawing board and check it out.”
Larry Kudlow, the president’s top economic adviser and a staunch advocate of free trade, said the suggestion of no tariffs led to productive discussions with the other world leaders.
“I don’t know if they were surprised with President Trump’s free trade proclamation, but they certainly listened to it and we had lengthy discussions about that,” Mr Kudlow said. “As the president said, reduce these barriers, in fact go to zero, zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, zero subsidies, and along the way we’re going to have to clean up the international trading system.”
However, Mr Trump did not totally change course, adding that the present tariffs were necessary as a reciprocal action in response to various barriers erected by other nations.
“We can’t have an example where we’re paying, the United States is paying, 270 per cent — just can’t have it — and when they send things into us you don’t have that,” Mr Trump said.
He also said that he would like to see the group expanded back to the G8, with Russia readmitted — something opposed by Mrs May.
“I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in,” he said.
Mr Trump said the idea had been discussed, adding: “We didn’t do votes or anything . . . “Some people like the idea of bringing Russia back in, this used to be the G8 and not the G7 and something happened a while ago where Russia is no longer in.
“I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in. I think it would be good for the world. I think it would be good for Russia. I think it would be good for the United States. I think it would be good for all the countries of the current G7.
“I think the G8 would be better. I think having Russia back in would be a positive thing. We are looking for peace in the world. We are not looking to play games.”
Mr Trump was speaking shortly before his departure for Singapore, where he is due to hold the first summit between a sitting US president and the North Korean leader King Jong-un on Tuesday.
Looking ahead to the meeting, Mr Trump said: “I feel that Kim Jong-un wants to do something great for his people.
“It’s a one-time shot and I think it’s going to work out very well.”
He repeated his warning that the meeting in Singapore on Tuesday could prove to be very short, saying “I think within the first minute, I’ll know” if Kim is serious.
“There’s a good chance it won’t work out,” he said. “There’s probably an even better chance it will take a period of time.”
June 9 2018
https://rp-online.de/imgs/32/2/7/4/8/6/6/9/1/DPA_bfunk_dpa_5F99920036C4E803-168a17fd68dd097a.jpg
Angela Merkel leans forward to make her point as President Trump listens and other G7 leaders look on
Donald Trump appeared to snub Theresa May when he forgot to mention her as he paid tribute to fellow world leaders at the end of a turbulent G7 summit in Canada.
Despite clashing with world leaders over trade, the environment and Russia, the US president rated his relationship with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, as a ten out of ten.
However, he failed to mention Mrs May, whose “schoolmistress tone” has reportedly irritated him.
Speaking about his relationship with America’s leading allies, Mr Trump said: “I would say that the level of relationships is a ten — we have a great relationship. Angela (Merkel) and Emmanuel (Macron) and Justin (Trudeau) — I would say the relationship is a ten.”
The G7 summit in Quebec has been overshadowed by a bitter trade war as the president made it clear he was not prepared to concede ground over steel and aluminium tariffs.
Yesterday in his press conference, Mr Trump ratcheted up the pressure on European leaders, who have threatened to hit the US with retaliatory tariffs, by accusing them of “robbing” the US and treating it like a “piggy bank”.
He said that the US has been “taken advantage of for decades and decades” and warned the European Union that it would be a “mistake” to start a trade war with the US, adding: “We can’t lose, the numbers are so astronomically against them. We win that war 1,000 times out of 1,000.”
He said that the US is the “piggy bank that everybody’s robbing”, adding: “That will change.”
Mr Trump said that the US was fighting for a free trade system with “no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies”.
According to reports, the other world leaders were taken aback by the suggestion and not sure how serious Mr Trump was about it. The president alluded to the surprise during the press conference, adding: “People were . . . I guess they gotta go back to the drawing board and check it out.”
Larry Kudlow, the president’s top economic adviser and a staunch advocate of free trade, said the suggestion of no tariffs led to productive discussions with the other world leaders.
“I don’t know if they were surprised with President Trump’s free trade proclamation, but they certainly listened to it and we had lengthy discussions about that,” Mr Kudlow said. “As the president said, reduce these barriers, in fact go to zero, zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, zero subsidies, and along the way we’re going to have to clean up the international trading system.”
However, Mr Trump did not totally change course, adding that the present tariffs were necessary as a reciprocal action in response to various barriers erected by other nations.
“We can’t have an example where we’re paying, the United States is paying, 270 per cent — just can’t have it — and when they send things into us you don’t have that,” Mr Trump said.
He also said that he would like to see the group expanded back to the G8, with Russia readmitted — something opposed by Mrs May.
“I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in,” he said.
Mr Trump said the idea had been discussed, adding: “We didn’t do votes or anything . . . “Some people like the idea of bringing Russia back in, this used to be the G8 and not the G7 and something happened a while ago where Russia is no longer in.
“I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in. I think it would be good for the world. I think it would be good for Russia. I think it would be good for the United States. I think it would be good for all the countries of the current G7.
“I think the G8 would be better. I think having Russia back in would be a positive thing. We are looking for peace in the world. We are not looking to play games.”
Mr Trump was speaking shortly before his departure for Singapore, where he is due to hold the first summit between a sitting US president and the North Korean leader King Jong-un on Tuesday.
Looking ahead to the meeting, Mr Trump said: “I feel that Kim Jong-un wants to do something great for his people.
“It’s a one-time shot and I think it’s going to work out very well.”
He repeated his warning that the meeting in Singapore on Tuesday could prove to be very short, saying “I think within the first minute, I’ll know” if Kim is serious.
“There’s a good chance it won’t work out,” he said. “There’s probably an even better chance it will take a period of time.”