President Donald Trump met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office for the first time since Merz’s election last month.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war was a focal point of the conversation. While Merz took a hard stand behind Ukraine, Trump compared the conflict to children fighting on the playground, saying that “sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while.”
Sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office, Merz expressed optimism for working closely with the president to bring about an end to the war.
“Let’s talk about what we can do jointly,” Merz said. “We are ready to do what we can.”
While Trump was more hesitant to take sides, Merz firmly stated Germany’s position, saying “we are on the side of Ukraine.”
The German chancellor also suggested the unique position Trump has in resolving the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“We are both looking for ways to stop it very soon,” Merz said. “I told the president before [this meeting] that he is the key person in the world who can really do that now by putting pressure on Russia.”
This discussion between two of Ukraine’s biggest military backers comes at a paramount moment in the war. Ukraine launched a sweeping surprise attack on Russia over the weekend in which it took out $7 billion worth of Russia military equipment.
The tone of the conversation between Trump and Merz contrasted starkly from recent Oval Office meetings with other world leaders, like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Both conservatives, the two heads of states discussed common goals in their foreign policy agendas and conducted a productive and friendly conversation.
Trump also weighed in on comments made earlier in the week by former Department of Government Effiiencey chief Elon Musk. Responding to Musk’s fierce criticism of his funding megabill dubbed the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ Trump conveyed disappointment in his former advisor.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will any more,” Trump said.
The feud between Musk and Trump unfolded shortly after their cordial farewell last week when Musk formally stepped down from his role at DOGE.
Musk took to social media just four days later to slam Trump’s budget bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”
“He knew every aspect of this bill,” Trump said from the Oval Office Thursday. “He knew it better than almost anybody, and he never had a problem until right after he left.”
