(17 Mar 2017) US President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House.
Merkel arrived Friday morning for a series of meetings with Trump. Shortly after she arrived, they held a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office where they were expected to talk about strengthening NATO, fighting the Islamic State group and resolving Ukraine's conflict.
At a photo opportunity with the press during that meeting, the two leaders were quiet about their discussions saying only that they talked about "many things."
The meeting produced a slightly awkward moment when the president didn't shake the German leader's hand in front of photographers in the Oval Office.
Trump told photographers to "send a good picture back to Germany, please."
He said the leaders had had "very good" talks so far, while Merkel praised the "friendly reception."
Photographers then shouted "handshake!" Merkel quietly asked Trump "do you want to have a handshake?"
There was no response from the president, who looked ahead with his hands clasped.
Following that discussion, they led a roundtable with German and US business leaders and then held a joint news conference.
Trump spent much of 2016 bashing the chancellor, accusing her of "ruining" Germany for allowing an influx of refugees from Syria.
Merkel was originally supposed to visit the White House on Tuesday. That meeting was delayed due to snow.
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