BIARRITZ, France (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven summit in France (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
No, first lady Melania Trump hasn’t had any secret meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The White House is clarifying comments made by President Donald Trump during a news conference in France. He had said “the first lady has gotten to know” Kim and likely agrees he’s “a man with a country that has tremendous potential.”
Press secretary Stephanie Grisham says in a statement from aboard Air Force One that the president “confides in his wife on many issues including the detailed elements of his strong relationship with Chairman Kim — and while the First Lady hasn’t met him, the President feels like she’s gotten to know him too.”
Trump has said he’ll likely meet with Kim again to discuss Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
___
6:55 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he’d meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani if the right circumstances exist to resolve the nuclear standoff with Tehran.
At the Group of Seven summit in France, Trump said Monday he won’t ease sanctions ahead of a possible meeting with the Iranians or provide compensation if Iran agrees to certain conditions. But he said Tehran “may need some money to get over a very rough patch” caused by U.S. economic sanctions.
Trump said French President Emmanuel Macron has discussed how several countries could possibly craft a “letter of credit” to Iran, secured by its oil. Trump says any credit extended to Iran would expire and would have to be paid back quickly.
Rouhani has said he would travel anywhere to meet if it will help his country.
___
6:05 p.m.
President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about climate change at a world leaders’ summit in France, saying he’s “not going to lose” America’s wealth “on dreams” and “windmills.”
Trump was asked during a press conference marking the end of the Group of Seven gathering what the world should be doing to address climate change. He skipped a session on the topic earlier Monday.
Trump answered by saying that the U.S. “has tremendous wealth” ″under its feet” and that he’s not going to lose it “on dreams, on windmills.”
Trump also claims to be “an environmentalist” despite his past statements and says he thinks he knows “more about the environment than most people.”
Trump has expressed skepticism about climate science in the past, including falsely describing it as a “hoax” created by the Chinese to hurt the U.S. economy.
___
5:55 p.m.
President Donald Trump says it’s better to have Russia “in the tent” rather than “outside the tent” of the group of advanced industrialized economies.
Speaking Monday at the Group of Seven summit in France, Trump said that he’s inclined to invite Russia to next year’s summit in the United States and that it’s being discussed. Russia was kicked out of the group after it annexed Crimea in 2014.
Trump says some G-7 countries want Russia invited back but others are opposed. Trump didn’t single out any nation but noted Germany buys energy from Russia while the U.S. helps defend Europe from Moscow aggression.
European Union officials have said that Russia isn’t welcome because it doesn’t adhere to democratic principles.
___
5:40 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he is not looking “at this moment” to impose tariffs on automobiles imported from Japan.
The U.S. and Japan say they are nearing a new trade agreement that would include more agricultural exports to Japan, such as beef and pork.
Trump is making clear that imposing auto tariffs in the name of national security is an option at a later date but adds “we’re not looking at that. We just want to be treated fairly.”
Trump was wrapping up his trip to this year’s Group of Seven summit in France on Monday and addressed the prospect of auto tariffs in a press conference.
Trump says Japan has run a large trade surplus with the U.S. and claims new trade deals will help transform the economy, though the trade tensions have spooked financial markets.
___
5:35 p.m.
President Donald Trump insists he has no interest in profiting from next year’s Group of Seven summit even as he talks up his private Miami-area golf course as a potential site.
Trump praised Trump National Doral at a televised press conference in France on Monday, touting its acreage, its proximity to the airport, its restaurants and what he called its “magnificent” bungalows with “magnificent views.”
Still, he claims he wouldn’t “make any money” off the summit even though he still profits from his clubs.
Trump also insists, without evidence, that the presidency will end up costing him $3 billion to $5 billion, even though that number seems impossibly high.
Trump said earlier Monday that Doral would be the likely venue for next year’s summit, which the U.S. is hosting. He says, “I think having it in Miami is fantastic.”
___
5:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump says that he’s open to meeting with Iran to resolve the nuclear standoff but that if Iran doesn’t agree to being a “good player” it will be met with “very violent force.”
French President Emmanuel Macron (eh-mahn-yoo-EHL’ mah-KROHN’) said Monday at the Group of Seven summit in France that he hopes Trump and the Iranian president will meet in the coming weeks. Macron says G-7 leaders agreed Iran needs to meet its nuclear obligations but there was a hope for a diplomatic breakthrough in the conflict that has grown since the U.S. left the 2015 nuclear accord.
Trump says progress can be made, although it “may not be immediately.”
Macron says he will work with nations still in the deal to facilitate progress. He says there is talk of negotiating a new agreement.
___
5:05 p.m.
President Donald Trump says China has taken a “hard hit” in recent months and he believes that Chinese leaders are sincere about wanting to reach a trade deal.
Trump is concluding his trip to this year’s Group of Seven summit in France on Monday by participating in a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron says the trade dispute between the U.S and China creates economic uncertainty and the quicker an agreement is reached the sooner economic uncertainty will dissipate.
Trump claims that China is serious about making a trade deal after his actions last week when he raised retaliatory tariffs and ordered American companies to consider alternatives to doing business there.
Leading U.S. business groups criticized the escalation and the move sent U.S. stock markets stumbling.
___
5 p.m.
President Donald Trump is papering over the differences that were on full display in France as he concludes his participation in the Group of Seven global summit.
Trump tells reporters at a joint press conference with French President Emanuel Macron that the summit was “truly successful” and that “tremendous unity” was on display.
He says that “Nobody wanted to leave” the final discussion and says, “It really was the G-7.”
Fissures between the U.S. and six of the world’s other advanced economies were apparent, however, on issues including trade policy, Russia, Iran and climate change during the talks at a picturesque French beach resort. That includes a push to invite Russia back into the group and skipping a session on climate with the other world leaders.
___
2 p.m.
President Donald Trump says U.S. talks with the Taliban are on “no timeline” for reaching a resolution to the nearly 18-year-old war, which has claimed more than 2,400 Americans.
Trump told reporters Monday at the Group of Seven summit in France that the U.S. is talking with the Taliban, the Afghan government and others, but is in “no rush” and has “no timeline” for the discussions.
The U.S. and the Taliban appear to be closing in on an agreement under which U.S. forces would withdraw in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not become a haven for other terrorist groups.
The U.S. is trying to get the Taliban to agree to stop fighting and sit down with the Kabul government, but violence has continued with large attacks in the capital
___
1:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump has missed a discussion on climate with other world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in France.
Trump was scheduled to attend Monday’s session on climate, biodiversity and oceans, but his chair was empty during a portion of the meeting reporters were allowed to witness.
French President Emmanuel Macron says that while Trump didn’t attend, his aides were there.
The president started the morning behind schedule. His meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel was delayed about two hours.
He then met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he was asked about attending the climate session.
He said it would be his next stop and that he wants clean air and water.
Trump is a climate change skeptic who once had claimed it’s a hoax that was invented by the Chinese.
___
1:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he thinks Pakistan and India will be able to work out a resolution over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir on their own without his help.
In July, India rejected Trump’s offer to mediate and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi again told reporters at the Group of Seven summit in France that Kashmir is a bilateral issue. India has long refused outside attempts to resolve the conflict while Pakistan has sought international help.
Trump said Monday that he’s available to help mediate, but Modi told him that he has the situation “under control.”
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of arming insurgents who have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan. Islamabad denies the charge. About 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
___
11:55 a.m.
President Donald Trump says there’s been no resolution on the fate of scores of Islamic State group fighters in U.S. custody.
Trump says he’s raising the issue as he meets with leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in France.
He commented during a one-on-one meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The president says it’s unfair for the U.S. to pay to keep these fighters. He says many of them came from Europe — including Germany — and he wants Europe to take them back.
Merkel says her country has already taken in many immigrant families but says the European Union is committed to solving the issue.
Trump also says he hopes not to have to impose tariffs on imports of European autos and auto parts as he has threatened.
___
11:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump says his private golf resort near Miami is the likely venue for next year’s Group of Seven summit. He says no decision has been made, but claims no other venue under consideration matches what his resort — Trump National Doral — can offer.
This year’s G-7 summit is ending Monday in France and the U.S. is hosting the 2020 gathering of the seven nations.
Trump says the property, which is just minutes from the Miami airport, has a lot of acreage and properties that would allow delegations from each G-7 country to have its own building.
___
9:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump says he wasn’t surprised when French President Emmanuel Macron invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Biarritz in a bid to open talks meant on lowering tensions.
Trump says he did not want to get into when Macron talked to him about Zarif. He says: “He asked me. I don’t consider that disrespectful at all, especially when he asked me for approval.”
For several months, Macron has assumed a lead role in trying to save the 2015 nuclear accord, which has been unraveling since Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement.
Trump had curtly told reporters he had “no comment” on Zarif’s presence. Officials said the White House was not aware in advance of the invitation to Zarif.
Trump’s comments come Monday as he meets with world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in France.
___
9:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump says serious negotiations with China will begin after the U.S. received two “very good calls” from Beijing.
Trump says “we are going to start talking very seriously.” He says the Chinese want to make a deal and he thinks one will finally be reached.
Trump says he’ll say more about China later Monday.
The president commented as he met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven world leader summit taking place in Biarritz, France.
Trump last week hiked tariffs on China after China taxed some U.S. imports in retaliation for a previous round of imports levied by Trump.
He says the Chinese now “mean business.”
Trump declined to say whether he has been speaking directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
