Angela Merkel and Donald Trump stress unity amid differences

US President Donald Trump afforded German Chancellor Angela Merkel a warm welcome at the White House Friday, calling her an "extraordinary woman."

But Merkel's "working trip," which follows French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the United States, did not appear to bring significant progress on a range of disagreements, including US tariffs and Trump's opposition to the Iran nuclear deal.

Iran: Trump said "we must make sure that this murderous regime does not get nuclear weapons." Merkel said the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran was a "first step" toward curtailing Iran's ambitions in the Middle East. "But we also think ... that this is not sufficient in order to see to it that Iran's ambitions are curbed and contained," she added.

US tariffs: Merkel said the two leaders had "an exchange of views" on whether the US would extend an EU exemption for US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, but gave no further details. "The decision [on whether to grant the extension] lies with the president," she said.

Defense spending: Trump said NATO allies need to "spend 2 percent and hopefully much more of GDP on defense," he added without explicitly mentioning Germany. Merkel said Germany's defense budget would increase in 2019 and that it was on its way to meeting the 2 percent goal.

Trade deficits: Trump said the US wants a "fair and reciprocal" trade with European countries and cited the US's trade deficit with the European Union. Merkel said Germany wanted "fair trade" in line with global trading rules. She also hinted at opening negotiations on a bilateral US-EU trade deal. - Read More, DW

Angela Merkel visits Donald Trump in Washington | News | DW | 27.04 ..