German chancellor Angela Merkel and the U.S. President Donald Trump held their first phone conversation since his inauguration last week. The talk lasted 45 minutes White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer reported on Twitter.
As it was noted in Merkel and Trump’s joint statement, the situation in the Middle East, and also the relations with Russia and the conflict in Ukraine was discussed during the conversation.
“The leaders recognized that NATO must be capable of confronting 21st-century threats and that our common defense requires appropriate investment in military capabilities to ensure all Allies are contributing their fair share to our collective security,” the White House reported.
Trump accepted Merkel’s invitation to attend a summit of G20 industrialized countries in Hamburg in July, and said he looked forward to welcoming Merkel to Washington soon. Germany is chairing the G20 group this year.
