US President Donald Trump will not make a decision on whether the United States should remain in the Paris climate agreement until after he returns from the G7 summit on 26 and 27 May, the White House has said.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that Mr Trump is continuing to hear from advisers on the pros and cons of the US remaining in the global accord, but that he will make a decision when he returns from the G7 summit in Italy, not prior to that as originally planned.
"It's a sign that the president wants to continue to meet with his team ... and come to a decision on what's (in) the best interest of the United States," Mr Spicer told reporters
Mr Trump advisers had been scheduled to meet at the White House to try to reach a final decision, but a White House official said the meeting was postponed due to scheduling conflicts.
His advisers and cabinet chiefs have been split over whether Mr Trump should keep his campaign promise to pull the US out of the agreement or remain to try to reshape it, according to senior administration officials and several people briefed on the meeting.
His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are senior presidential advisers, as well as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are in favor of remaining, while Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt and senior adviser Steve Bannon have urged Mr Trump to withdraw.
Advisers had been under pressure to deliver a final recommendation to Mr Trump ahead of the May 26-27 G7 meeting.
