— Russia is playing for time and thus acting against the will of the US president. During today's talks, I called on him to increase pressure on Moscow, the chancellor said after his meeting with Trump at the White House. Merz expressed his belief that an agreement on Ukraine and Russia negotiated “over the heads of Europeans” is unacceptable.
What actions is the German Chancellor taking regarding Russia?
What did the German Chancellor say about relations with Trump?
What topics were to be discussed during Merz's visit?
What does Merz think about the Ukraine agreement?
The German Chancellor was received at the White House on Tuesday. He was the first European leader to talk to Trump after the US president's decision to attack Iran. In the context of the war in the Middle East, Merz assessed that the actions of the US and Israel “are not without risk.”
German Chancellor's visit to the USA
The head of the German government stated that neither the US nor Israel asked Germany to join the war. The Chancellor allegedly told Trump that such a move could only take place with the consent of the Bundestag.
Merz's visit to Washington, planned before the US and Israel attacked Iran, was initially supposed to focus, in addition to security issues and Russia's war with Ukraine, also on trade tensions between the US and the EU and rebuilding strained transatlantic relations. In the face of the US and Israel's war with Iran, these matters have fallen into the background.
