But traditional American allies are troubled by Trump's rhetoric, which they say is erratic and disruptive, citing his decision to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as undermining an arms control agreement that prevented Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb. "The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal," he said, and later pressed Merkel over the issue in bilateral talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, met Pence on Saturday for a bilateral sit-down on the sidelines of the Munich gathering. (Matthias Schrader/Associated Press)Speaking before Pence, Merkel questioned whether the U.S. decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal and its withdrawal from Syria was the best way to tackle Tehran in the region. "Geostrategically, Europe can't have an interest in cutting off all relations with Russia," Merkel said.

Source: CBC News February 16, 2019 19:07 UTC