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The US President welcomed the German Chancellor to Washington today in what is seen as a key test of relations between Mr Trump and the EU establishment. And soon after welcoming Mrs Merkel to the White House the pair posed in front of the cameras at the Oval Office. At one moment the US President was asked by one of the photographers "can we get a handshake?"

GETTY Donald Trump blanked a request to give Angela Merkel a handshake at the White House

Merkel meets Trump at the White House Fri, March 17, 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump has welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House in Washington DC Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 18 U.S. President Trump and German Chancellor Merkel hold a joint news conference in Washington

Mrs Merkel looked towards the US President and said "do you want a handshake" but Mr Trump, who gave a wry grin, did not acknowledge the offer and kept his hands firmly placed in his lap. The German Chancellor then looked towards the cameras and gave an awkward look after being shunned. The press were then ushered out of the Oval Office without a handshake between the pair.



The uncomfortable moment between the two world leaders came moments before they are due to give a joint press conference at the White House.

EPA Donald Trump meets Angela Merkel at the White House

The meeting between the US President and Chancellor is set to be a tense one as Mr Trump’s so-called ‘German tax’ has caused up set across Germany. In his plans to boost homegrown American businesses - Trump’s finance minister is planning to levy a 20 per cent tax on imports. This would smash into the Germans who sell more than €500bn of goods to Trump’s nation annually - mostly in cars and medicines.



Mr Trump has previously criticised Mrs Merkel for her open-door approach to the migrant crisis and has also hit out at the EU.

EPA Angela Merkel and Ivanka Trump during the crunch White House meeting