Argentine President Javier Milei defended the meeting he had with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying it was “unprecedented and historical by Argentine standards.” He went on to add that trade discussions in which the country will have “benefits” are underway and reiterated that he has Washington’s backing.

“There’s no doubt that we’ll have support as long as I’m president,” he said in an interview with A24 news outlet.

Milei’s words came upon returning to Argentina after his meeting with Trump made headlines for the wrong reasons. During a press conference in the White House, the U.S. president said that the United States’ unprecedented bailout for the country depended on how Milei fared in the polls.

“If [Milei] doesn’t win, we’re not going to waste that time, because you have somebody whose philosophy has no chance of making Argentina great again,” Trump said. It was unclear whether he understood that this year’s elections are legislative midterms and the next presidential vote is not until 2027, although in a post on social media later, Trump said he hoped the ruling party will win in the “upcoming midterms.”

In his interview, the Argentine president said that there was a “malicious interpretation” of his comments and that Trump himself later offered him his “total and absolute support.” Asked why the United States is offering its economic backing, Milei posited that Trump has taken on a position of “regional leadership” and that they consider Argentina an ally.

A turbulent economy

Milei also spoke about the delicate economic situation the country is enduring, saying that his government “knows what effort is” and that they are “halfway down the path to recovery.” He went on to say that the financial turbulence was due to the “political pounding” his administration has been receiving from the opposition.

“The market takes distances every time it sees [Kirchnerism].”

Despite acknowledging that large sectors of the population are undergoing severe difficulties, the president did not budge from his stance that his economic plan is the only solution for the country’s problems. At one point, he seemed to become annoyed at journalist Eduardo Feinmann for pointing out that 70% of the population cannot make ends meet.

“I can’t fix this by printing money. Taking on debt would also be unfair because I’ll be jeopardizing the work of future generations. There are no shortcuts,” he said, adding that these processes “take time” and that he intends to become the “most reformist president in history.”

-With information from Ámbito