The Swedish leader was asked Tuesday if he stood by that critique after The New York Times reported that gang-related assaults and shootings were on the rise in Sweden and that crime and immigration were expected to be key issues in the country's upcoming general election.
Löfven did not directly address his comments about Trump. He said he'd inherited legislation that was "not sustainable" when it came to refugees and that he'd worked to reduce the number allowed into his country. He also said his government had dedicated more resources to police and cracking down on organized crime and terrorism.
Trump and Löfven also spoke about trade, with Trump saying he planned to move ahead with tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, noting that the U.S. has long been "mistreated" by trade deals. But Löfven said that "increased tariffs will hurt us all in the long run."
They addressed North Korea's reported willingness to negotiate on nuclear weapons. Trump said he was hopeful this would "lead to a very positive result." Löfven said Sweden, which has maintained diplomatic relations with North Korea for decades, will do whatever it can to see that any dialogue is "smooth."
And Trump said he was not worried that Moscow will meddle in the upcoming midterm elections because the U.S. will take steps to prevent it. "Whatever they do, we'll counteract it very strongly," the president said.
