Mrs Merkel spoke of her dismay at the USA's reluctance to back the Paris Agreement on climate change at the G7 summit over the weekend.

"The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying," Merkel said on Saturday. "There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not."

Speaking at a conference on sustainable development in Berlin yesterday, she reiterated her concerns about the German-US relationship.

Mrs Merkel said it was important for Germany not to gloss over their differences.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel added on Monday that Mr Trump’s actions have “weakened” the West.