Mr. Trump and Mr. Kurz later discussed trade tensions between the United States and Europe, as the White House nears a decision to impose tariffs on German automobiles. Austria is a producer of car parts, and Mr. Kurz has proposed himself as an intermediary between Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel, whose relationship — never warm — has hardened. “The conversation was tough,” said Martin Engelberg, a senior aide to Mr. Kurz, who noted that Mr. Trump also pressed his guest on Austria’s reliance on natural gas from Russia. Mr. Engelberg said the two leaders did not discuss immigration, and he rejected the suggestion that cultivating Mr. Kurz was a way for Mr. Trump to divide the European Union. “If there hadn’t been a migrant crisis, there wouldn’t have been a Sebastian Kurz.”Mr. Freund, a former broadcaster who is a Social Democrat, said there were important differences between Mr. Kurz and Mr. Trump, aside from their age.

Source: New York Times February 21, 2019 01:30 UTC