Merz in Washington: Strong European voice in the Ukraine conflict!

Merz in Washington: Strong European voice in the Ukraine conflict!

Washington, USA - The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has now arrived in Washington. Merz, who has appeared as a new voice in Germany since taking office four weeks ago, meets US President Donald Trump in the White House. Joint activities are planned, including lunch and a press conference that will take place at 5:30 p.m. CEST in the Oval Office.

A central theme of the meeting is the war in Ukraine, with Merz and Trump also want to discuss the NATO reaction to growing threats. In addition, the customs dispute between the USA and the EU will be on the agenda. Merz emphasizes that he does not travel to Washington as a "supplicant" and wants to confidently represent European positions. He is determined to maintain the interests of Germany and Europe.

topics of the meeting

In the preliminary talks with Trump, which took place via phone calls and text messages, Merz has already discussed central points. Both heads of the state have now made friends with their first names and have a regular exchange. Before his trip, Merz also called the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj to accelerate the implementation of agreements from a previous meeting in Berlin. In particular, he had promised Selenskyj German financial aid to support Ukraine in building weapons with a high range.

Selenskyj itself underlined the need for stricter sanctions against Russia, especially with regard to the oil trade. Although Trump has not yet exerted any additional pressure on Russia, the Senate is working on a sanction package that could tighten the existing measures. This shows that the US government continues to pursue the situation closely and endeavor to react appropriately.

While the situation in Ukraine is worried, NATO's attitude is also important. Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently emphasized that he is against NATO's military intervention in Ukraine. This statement underlines the complex and diverse challenges with which the international community is faced with the Ukraine conflict.

Merz will only spend about 17 hours during his short visit to Washington. After this first official conversation, further meetings with Trump are already being planned, including the G7 summit in Canada and the NATO summit in the Hague in June.