The Latest: Trump says 'you can bank on' no Iran nukes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Trump's meeting with Germany's Angela Merkel (all times local):

2:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he'll make sure Iran does not use nuclear weapons, adding, "You can bank on it."

Trump is speaking at a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The president was asked if he would use military force to reign in Iran's nuclear program, if the U.S. drops out of the international nuclear deal with Iran.

Trump says he won't discuss the use of military force, but he says: "They are not going to be doing nuclear weapons. You can bank on it."

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2:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump is calling on NATO allies to increase their defense spending. Trump's holding a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Trump's pressing European nations to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense — as he has urged since his campaign.

Trump also complains that the World Trade Organization has treated the U.S. poorly. He calls for "fair and reciprocal trade relationships with our friends and allies."

Merkel says Germany will continue to be a reliable partner within the NATO alliance.

Germany's latest budget will take defense spending to 1.3 percent of GDP. Merkel acknowledges that's far short of the 2 percent goal but says Germany is still aiming for that over time.

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2:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he is looking forward to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying it "should be quite something."

Trump spoke Friday at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He congratulated the leaders of North and South Korea after a historic summit and said his meeting with Kim will be in the "coming weeks."

Trump says a "maximum pressure" campaign will continue "until denuclearization occurs."

Trump spoke hours after Kim Jong Un became the first North Korean leader to visit south of the demarcation line between the two Koreas, meeting with President Moon Jae-in. The leaders pledged in a joint statement to seek a formal end to the Korean War by year's end and to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons.

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12:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump is saying the United States is "not going to be played" when it comes to peace talks with North Korea.

Trump sat alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on Friday and said that talks on the divided Korean peninsula have "never gone this far."

Trump spoke hours after Kim Jong Un became the first North Korean leader to visit south of the demarcation line between the two Koreas, meeting with President Moon Jae-in.

They pledged in a joint statement to seek a formal end to the Korean War by year's end and to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons, without specifying how it would be achieved.

Trump credited his own leadership for why talks will "be different" in these negotiations.

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12 p.m.

President Donald Trump is welcoming German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House.

Merkel arrived Friday for a private meeting and a working lunch. The two are expected to discuss global trade and security issues.

Trump greeted her outside the White House with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek.

The visit comes as Trump weighs withdrawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear accord, an agreement Germany believes should stay in pace. Another concern for the German leader is that a European Union exemption from Trump's new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum is set to soon expire.

Merkel's trip comes after French President Emmanuel Macron was treated to the first state visit of the Trump administration, complete with a glitzy state dinner.

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President Donald Trump's visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House will be less than three hours.

There are likely to be fewer hugs on display than earlier in the week, when Trump played host to French President Emmanuel Macron for a lavish, three-day state visit.

But Merkel's message will likely be similar to Macron's: That America and Europe need to bury the hatchet on key issues, from global trade to international security.

In the hours before Merkel's arrival at the White House, Trump himself took note of their limited schedule. Merkel is scheduled to have a 30-minute Oval Office meeting with Trump, followed by a working lunch and joint news conference.