US President Donald Trump said Wednesday the US will "carefully assess" Italy's claims that it has been excessively penalised by US tariffs over state aid to Airbus. "Italy has a problem on how 7.5 billion dollars in tariffs have been divided, it thinks it had a lesser role than other countries like France or Germany", he said at a press conference with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Mattarella said tariffs were hurting both economies and trade tensions didn't "benefit anyone." Trump told the press conference that "we don't want to be tough with Italy (on tariffs), we'll see if we can tackle the issue".
He said the US could not lose a trade war.
Trump said Italy only paid 1% of GDP to NATO instead of the required 2%, and Mattarella said Italy was the second biggest contributor to NATO missions and the fifth biggest contributor in funding. Mattarella said Italy is and will be very careful on 5G looking after national security, in response to US concerns.
Trump said "Italy has just bought 90 very new F35s. The programme is going very well".
"Italy has condemned and it condemns the ongoing operation by Turkey" in Syria, Mattarella told the press conference.
"Italy is strongly concerned by Turkey's offensive against the Kurds. There have already been many victims, also among civilians, and many refugees. We risk offering unthought of spaces to ISIS".
Trump said PKK Kurdish militia were "worse than ISIS".
Trump said "Italy doesn't want open borders and nor does the US".
Trump said "Libya has brought a migratory crisis that is putting unfair pressure on Italy, I hope the EU tackles this problem more. We have an excellent trade relationship with the EU".
Trump opened the press conference with Mattarella by paying homage to the heritage of Italian culture and art, including one of its icons, Christopher Columbus. "For me it will always be Columbus Day, even if some people don't like it", he said referring to growing protests calling for it to be replaced by Indigenous Nations Day.
Earlier, Mattarella told Trump that "it seems preferable to me to talk immediately (on tariffs) and take into account the various positions. The alternative is the risk of starting out on a road which in any event will need a meeting point and so it's worth seeking it immediately".
Mattarella said that "I hope it is possible to find a method of collaborative talks that averts a spiral or reprisals. And we need to find it quickly".
Trump said in greeting Mattarella at the Oval Office that the EU should not carry out reprisals against the US after the World Trade Organization decision on aid to Airbus.
Trump greeted Mattarella by saying "it is a great honour to receive a very highly respected man like you, it's a pleasure to have you in the White House".
Trump said that "relations with Italy are excellent, they have never been so good".
Trump said about US sanctions on Turkey and the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria that "sanctions are more effective in maintaining stability than the presence of US troops".
Trump said that "Syria can get Russia's help and that's OK: there's a lot of sand to play with there".
He said "the Kurds are no angels".
"Everyone is complaining about what is happening with Turkey but we are managing this situation very well", said the US leader.
In other remarks, he said "I don't know the report by Attorney General William Barr, but I think it will uncover a lot of corruption".
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