President Donald Trump on Thursday said it might be better to “let them fight for a while” when asked about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drawing a striking analogy between the war and a playground brawl as he hosted newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.“Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting, adding that he had relayed the same sentiment to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call the day before.Merz, sitting beside him, said he agreed with Trump that the war was “terrible,” but emphasized Germany’s full support for Ukraine and its efforts to avoid civilian harm. “We are on Ukraine’s side,” Merz said.
“We are trying to get them stronger.”
The visit marked the first in-person meeting between the two leaders, though they’ve spoken multiple times since Merz took office on May 6. Merz, a business-friendly conservative and longtime critic of Trump’s predecessor Angela Merkel, presented Trump with a gold-framed birth certificate of his grandfather Friedrich Trump, who emigrated from Germany.Behind the symbolism lay major policy disagreements.
Trump is pressing NATO allies to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP, a leap from the 2% minimum previously agreed. Merz, for his part, has endorsed 3.5% by 2032, plus additional spending on infrastructure.A White House official said trade, defense, and what the administration calls “democratic backsliding” in Germany were also on the agenda. Trump’s administration has criticized Berlin for perceived erosion of free speech protections and its reluctance to engage with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), now the country’s main opposition party.Merz defended Germany’s internal politics, saying he was open to discussing domestic matters with Trump, but noted, “We hold back when it comes to American domestic politics.”On Ukraine, Merz rejected the idea of a “dictated peace,” called for more sanctions against Russia, and vowed to keep supporting Kyiv militarily — including helping it develop long-range missiles. Under his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, Germany became the second-largest supplier of weapons to Ukraine after the US.Trump left open the possibility of sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine. “When I see the moment where it’s not going to stop … we’ll be very, very tough,” he said.Trade tensions also loomed large. Germany exported $160 billion in goods to the US last year, versus $75 billion in U.S. exports to Germany, a deficit Trump wants to erase. The president’s 25% tariff on autos is aimed at pressuring German automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, though many already have US plants.Merz warned that tariffs “benefit no one,” but trade decisions will ultimately rest with the EU. Trump recently paused a 50% tariff hike on EU goods set to take effect this month.Despite the friction, both leaders projected cautious optimism about cooperation. As Trump put it: “We’ll see.”
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