Trump reported to have told confidants USA will leave Paris climate deal

Mattis was interviewed before Axios news outlet reported that Trump had told several "confidants" - including EPA chief Scott Pruitt - that he was pulling the US out of the landmark climate change accord. "But we have made very clear that we are not moving away from our positions".

On Saturday, Mr Trump said in a Twitter post he would make a decision on whether to support the Paris climate deal next week. Trump's National Economic Counselor Gary Cohn said.

Deciding whether to protect the environment or uphold some empty campaign rhetoric is a no-brainer for everybody but Donald Trump.

"There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not".

In a major speech on his second day in Riyadh to leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries, the President attempted to tone down his rhetoric and took his first major step toward attempting to unite the Muslim world in common cause against terrorism.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the Paris accord that was concluded in 2015 between 194 countries as the full compliance with the agreement would reduce US GDP by $2.5 trillion over the next decade, explaining that it means "factories and plants closing all over the country".

Trump reportedly described the Germans as "bad, very bad" in their trade practices while visiting Brussels this past week. But the White House said Friday that Trump's view on the topic is "evolving" after hearing other views during the summit.

The Paris climate agreement within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, championed by former US President Barack Obama, was ratified by 143 countries.

Although failing to find immediate common ground on a G7 approach to climate change, the United States did give backing to statements opposing protectionist economic policies and supported further sanctions on Russian Federation should they be deemed necessary.

The announcement came as Trump departed this year's G-7 summit in Italy, leaving the other world leaders frustrated. Trump had earlier claimed there is no evidence that humans are causing climate change.