Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister May of the United Kingdom in Joint Press Conference | Eastern North Carolina Now

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, it will be a slow process. Don't forget, we're not the only ones that have nukes. And it would be a slow process. But for the world, it would be us and it would be others would have to come along simultaneously, obviously.

    But I think that when the meeting was arranged - and we both wanted the meeting - when the meeting was arranged, it was - from my standpoint, I didn't go in with high expectations, but you may come out with something very exceptional.

    But the proliferation is a tremendous - I mean, to me, it's the biggest problem in the world: nuclear weapons. Biggest problem in the world.

    I understand nuclear. Look up Dr. John Trump at MIT. He was my uncle. Many, many years a professor. I used to talk nuclear with him. And this is many years ago. It's the biggest problem, in my opinion, this world has. Nuclear weapons. So if we could do something to substantially reduce them - I mean, ideally, get rid of them. Maybe that's a dream. But certainly it's a subject that I'll be bringing up with him. And it's also a very expensive thing. But that's the least important. So if we can - if we can do something.

    But I didn't go in - and I was telling the Prime Minister before - I didn't go in with high expectations. I mean, we have - we do have a political problem where, you know, in the United States we have this stupidity going on - pure stupidity - but it makes it very hard to do something with Russia. Anything you do, it's always going to be "Oh, Russia. He loves Russia." I love the United States. But I love getting along with Russia and China, and other countries. And it will certainly be, Jeff, something that we bring up and talk about. I think, to me, it's such a big problem.

    Syria, of course, I'm going to bring that up and I'm going to bring up Ukraine. And I'm going to bring up other subjects, also.

    Q And can you spell out, in terms of Syria, what exactly you would like to hear from him and what you would like Russia to do?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: We're just going to talk about - yeah, well, that was another one. I mean, the red line in the sand was a problem for us. I mean, I think you might be in a different -

    Q Aside from what President Obama did, what you would you like President Putin to do now, under your watch?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to talk to him about that before I talk to you. And if something happens, that will be great. And if it doesn't happen - I'm not going in with high expectations, but we may come out with some very surprising things.

    But relationship is very important. And having a relationship with Russia and other countries, as I said a number of times, is - and I've been saying, actually, for years - and I've been certainly saying it during my campaign. Having relationships with other countries is really a good thing.

    I think that - I can't really overestimate how big the meeting was yesterday with NATO. We went with something that really was an unfair situation to something that's unified. I mean, they had spirit. Those people were getting up, and in the end, "Well, we are committing and we're" - you know, they can't go - it's not like they can go immediately back. They have to go through their parliaments and their congresses and their representatives, and whoever, whatever forum they have. But they have to go through an approval process.

    But I'll tell you what: Every single person in that room was gung-ho to get it done, get the money. And even before that, as you know, $34 billion. And I think that the Secretary General - Stoltenberg is doing a terrific job, by the way - he said yesterday that because of President Trump, we've taken in $34 billion more for NATO. And I think the number is actually much higher than that. But $34 billion more, at least. And again, that's nothing that my opponent would have done. My opponent would have - it would have just kept going down. You know, it was going down. You see what was happening over the years. The numbers were going down. Now the number is way up and now it's going way up higher. And that was - and he will tell you that that was because of me.

    Q Prime Minister May, the President, during his time in Brussels expressed concern about a pipeline between Russia and Germany. Do you share those concerns?

    And to follow up on some of the questioning from my colleagues in the British press and on the American side, did you feel undermined by President Trump's comments in The Sun about your Brexit plan and about Boris Johnson?

    PRIME MINISTER MAY: No, look, I'm very clear that our Brexit plan will deliver on what the British people voted for. And we've had an excellent discussion here, as I've said about - and as President Trump has said, about the possibility and the intent that we both have to have an ambitious trade deal going forward. And I think that's exactly where we'll be going. And that's very important for both of our countries, actually. We stand - we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States in so many different ways over the years as a result of our special relationship. And we will show that even further through the trade arrangements that we will put in place in the future.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: And I have - just to finish off. Jeff, just to finish off, I have to say, I said to that paper, The Sun - and they seem like two very nice people - but I said that Theresa May is a - one of them is nice. (Laughter.)

    PRIME MINISTER MAY: There's one sitting here.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Oh, good. Where is that person? Where? Did I say nice things about Theresa May, please?

    Q Oh, of course you did, Mr. President.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Oh, good? Okay. If you reported them, that's good. Okay. Where? On the Internet? (Laughter.) I said very good things. Thank you very much for saying that. No, I said very good things about her. I didn't they put it in, but that's all right. They didn't put it in the headline. I wish they put that in the headline. That's one of those things.

    And she's a total professional, because when I saw her this morning I said, "I want apologize, because I said such good things about you." She said, "Don't worry, it's only the press." I thought that was very - I thought that was very professional. (Laughter.) I might add though - I might add -

    PRIME MINISTER MAY: (Inaudible.)

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: That's called being - don't worry, I've been - they've been doing it to me and I do it to them. I do say, though, the pipeline - you asked about the pipeline - to me, it is a tragedy. I think it's a horrific thing that's being done, where you're feeding billions and billions of dollars - from Germany primarily, and other countries, but primarily from Germany - into the coffers of Russia when we're trying to do something so that we have peace in the world.

    I think it's a horrible thing that Germany is doing. I think it's a horrible mistake. And as much as I like Angela, I was very open in saying it. I think it's a horrible thing that you have a pipeline coming from Russia, and I believe that Germany is going to be getting 50, 60, or even, I've heard, numbers of 70 percent of their energy coming in from Russia. And how can you be working for peace and working from strength when somebody has that kind of power over your country?

    I don't think it's good. You're not working from strength; you've given up all of your strength. I think it's very bad for Germany, very bad for the German people. And I don't think it's very good for NATO, if you want to know the truth. So, okay?

    PRIME MINISTER MAY: We've just - we said we would take four questions each, and we've taken four questions each. Just on the pipeline issue - on the Nord Stream - we've been talking to the Germans about this; we've been talking to other countries within the European Union about this. And while we continue to sit around the EU table, this will be something that will be discussed at the European Union table. And obviously, we'll make our views known there.

    Mr. President, thank you.

    Q Can you share your views with us, though? Can you share your views with us - your position on the (inaudible)?

    PRIME MINISTER MAY: Look, the - we have been discussing this with Germany. The President has made clear his concerns about what is happening. Angela Merkel made her position clear. Within the European Union, there are discussions to be held on this issue of Nord Stream 2, and we're talking to other countries within the European Union.

    And I think the President said earlier, in response to a question about a future meeting he was going to have, that he'd tell you what was happening after that meeting. And you will see what comes out from the European Union. And while we are a member of the EU - because we still are, until the 29th of March, 2019, and then we're leaving. (Laughter.)

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Thank you.

    PRIME MINISTER MAY: Thank you.


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