Trump Suggests Letting Ukraine and Russia "Fight for a While," Contrasting with German Chancellor's Plea for Peace. The former US President's controversial comments, comparing the Ukraine conflict to a children's fight, sparked debate, even as Germany urged him to pressure Putin to end the bloodshed. This stark contrast highlights the differing approaches to resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war
Trump's Controversial Ukraine War Analogy: "Let Them Fight"? During an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Merz, President Trump compared the Russia-Ukraine conflict to a children's fight, suggesting letting them "fight for a while" before intervention. He reportedly relayed this analogy to Putin, sparking debate and raising questions about his approach to the February 2022 invasion
Trump suggests letting Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while," comparing the conflict to a hockey game where referees allow players to grapple before intervening. He explained advising Putin that prolonged suffering on both sides might be necessary before peace talks can effectively separate the combatants. This controversial analogy contrasts with his previous calls for ending the Ukraine war
Trump's controversial suggestion to let the Ukraine-Russia war continue, despite his prior calls for peace, sparked a significant response. While denouncing the bloodshed, he proposed a prolonged conflict before intervention, drawing a parallel to children's fights. German Chancellor Merz deftly avoided this assertion, highlighting the shared US-German condemnation of the war and firmly placing blame for the violence on Putin, underscoring Germany's unwavering support for Ukraine
During an Oval Office meeting, German Chancellor Merz urged President Trump to pressure Russia, calling him the key figure to end the Ukraine conflict. Merz emphasized the urgent need for a swift resolution to the devastating war, highlighting the shared commitment of the U.S. and Germany to stopping the bloodshed
Trump and Merz's Oval Office Meeting: A Diplomatic Success? German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to the White House marked the first in-person meeting with President Trump. Unlike previous encounters, the meeting avoided a televised confrontation, fostering a cordial exchange. Merz presented Trump with a gold-framed birth certificate of his grandfather, Friedrich Trump, a German immigrant. Trump praised Merz as a "very good man to deal with," signifying a positive start to their discussion on the ongoing Ukraine conflict
Trump praises German Chancellor Merz as a strong leader, playfully describing him as "difficult" but ultimately a "great representative of Germany" during their Oval Office meeting
Following a White House meeting, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed he invited Donald Trump to visit Germany, referring to it as "his home country," highlighting their positive personal relationship
Trump and German Chancellor Merz cultivate a positive relationship, a stark contrast to Trump's tense history with Merkel. Despite differing views on the Ukraine conflict, phone calls and a recent Oval Office meeting indicate a developing rapport between the two leaders. Merz's approach avoids the antagonism that characterized Trump's previous interactions with German leadership
Germany's new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, a 69-year-old conservative and former Merkel rival with extensive business experience, met with President Trump. Merz, who succeeded Merkel as party leader, discussed the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the need for a swift end to the war and holding Putin accountable
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's proactive Ukraine diplomacy includes Kyiv visits and Berlin meetings with President Zelenskyy, advocating for stronger sanctions against Russia while rejecting a dictated peace or Ukrainian subjugation. He acknowledges President Trump's support for a ceasefire but firmly opposes any compromise that would involve Ukraine's surrender
Trump's Ukraine-Russia stance: He suggests letting the conflict play out before intervention, while keeping the option of sanctions open for both nations. Despite bipartisan Senate pressure for harsh sanctions against Moscow, Trump asserts he will ultimately control any such measures
Trump suggests letting Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while," comparing the conflict to children fighting or a hockey game, before intervention. He believes both sides need to suffer before a lasting peace can be achieved, stating, "it takes two to tango." This contrasts with his previous calls for an immediate end to the Ukraine war
On the D-Day anniversary, German Chancellor Merz urged President Trump to leverage his influence with Putin, calling him crucial to ending the Ukraine conflict. Merz appealed to Trump to help stop the war, drawing a parallel between the Allied liberation of Europe and the need to end the ongoing violence in Ukraine
During a meeting with President Trump, German Chancellor Merz highlighted the devastating war in Ukraine, emphasizing the urgent need for a swift resolution and placing responsibility for the conflict firmly on Putin. Merz underscored the shared U.S. and German commitment to ending the bloodshed, referencing the historical significance of D-Day (June 6, 1944) as a pivotal moment in liberating Germany from Nazi rule and asserting America's crucial role in achieving peace
“That was not a pleasant day for you?” Trump interjected to the German leader when he referenced D-Day.
At home, Merz’s government is intensifying a drive that his immediate predecessor, Olaf Scholz, began to bolster the German military after Russia invaded Ukraine. In Trump’s first term, Berlin was a target of his ire for failing to meet the current NATO target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense, and Trump is now demanding at least 5% from allies.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, a White House official said the administration planned to stress to Germany that it should increase its defense spending and that the upcoming NATO summit in The Netherlands was a good opportunity to commit to Trump’s 5% pledge. But during an exchange with reporters, Trump praised Berlin: “I know that you’re spending more money on defense now and quite a bit more money. That’s a positive thing.”
Scholz set up a 100 billion euro ($115 billion) special fund to modernize Germany’s armed forces — called the Bundeswehr — which had suffered from years of neglect. Germany has met the 2% target thanks to the fund, but it will be used up in 2027. Merz has endorsed a plan for all allies to aim to spend 3.5% of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5% on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure.
Another top priority for Merz is to get Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest, moving again after it shrank the past two years. He wants to make it a “locomotive of growth,” but Trump’s tariff threats are a potential obstacle for a country whose exports have been a key strength. At present, the economy is forecast to stagnate in 2025.
Germany exported $160 billion worth of goods to the U.S. last year, according to the Census Bureau. That was about $85 billion more than what the U.S. sent to Germany, a trade deficit that Trump wants to erase.
“Germany is one of the very big investors in America,” Merz told German reporters Thursday morning ahead of his visit with Trump. “Only a few countries invest more than Germany in the USA. We are in third place in terms of foreign direct investment.”
The U.S. president has specifically gone after the German auto sector, which includes major brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Americans bought $36 billion worth of cars, trucks and auto parts from Germany last year, while the Germans purchased $10.2 billion worth of vehicles and parts from the U.S. Trump’s 25% tariff on autos and parts is specifically designed to increase the cost of German-made automobiles.
There’s only so much Merz can achieve on his view that tariffs “benefit no one and damage everyone” while in Washington, as trade negotiations are a matter for the European Union’s executive commission. Trump hinted at that Thursday, saying the trade situation will mostly depend on the negotiations with the 27-country bloc.
“We’ll end up hopefully with a trade deal,” Trump said. “Or we’ll do something. We’ll do the tariffs.”
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Trump recently delayed a planned 50% tariff on goods coming from the European Union, which would have otherwise gone into effect this month.
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Moulson reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.
Source: Original Article