Chillin' and Kickin' it with the Leaders: Merz and Trump's Cozy Chat on Ukraine and Tariffs
Trump and Merz aim for swift resolution in trade disagreement
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Just a couple days into his new gig, Chancellor Merz jumped on a call with 'ol Trumpy. The big man promised support for Euro peace efforts in Ukraine, and both agreed - nobody wants a trade war. That's according to insiders, who described the 30-minute convo as a "surprisingly pleasant, laidback, and courteous exchange."
Gossip Hot Take: The Trump folks say they didn't really care for Merz as Chancellor, but they're gonna be buddies now.
The call went down on Thursday evening, just two days post-Merz's inauguration in the Bundestag. Trump congratulated Merz (in his own way, probably), and Merz assured Trump that Yank would always be Germany's "indispensable pal and partner."
Ukraine took up the lion's share of the talk. Both agreed on some tight cooperation to stop the Russian invasion and urge Russia to agree to a ceasefire so talks could happen. Trump promised to back Germany's peace efforts with its European partners, along with France, Britain, and Poland, until a permanent peace is achieved.
Put a Lid on That Trade Dispute
The other subject on the agenda was the trade beef between the US and the EU. Trump and Merz pledged to handle their issues with the US and EU ASAP, but no solutions are on the horizon yet. Shortly before the call, the EU Commission said it was whipping up new levies on US goods worth up to €95 billion should negotiations not pan out.
Gossip Hot Take: If these two can't work it out, it's gonna get ugly for Riesling and Bourbon lovers.
Merz brushed off US complaints about Germany labeling the AfD as "securely right-wing extremist." He advocated for scrapping all tariffs and doubled down on expanding mutual tech standards recognition.
Merz Invites Trump to Deutschland
Merz and Trump had never really known each other before the call. They had only crossed paths once, decades ago in New York. Insiders say Merz extended an invitation to Trump, mentioning Trump's German bloodline (his ancestors hailed from the wine-famous Kallstadt in Rheinland-Pfalz) and how Trump's grandparents left Germany for the US at the end of the 19th century.
Trending Two Shakes and a Dance: Trump's agreed to a possible visit to Germany, but it's too early to book those Round-trip tickets to Ramstein.
Trump, in turn, invited Merz to DC. Merz has publicly voiced his plan to pop over to the US before the G7 and NATO summits in June, within the next six weeks. The G7's set for Canada mid-June, followed by the NATO summit in The Hague.
Source: ntv.de, ino/als/dpa/rts
- Friedrich Merz
- Donald Trump
- Ukraine Attack
- Tariffs
- The economic and monetary union, a key aspect of the community policy, was apparently a topic in the cordial conversation between Chancellor Merz and President Trump, with both leaders agreeing on the importance of avoiding a trade war.
- During the call, the leaders of Germany and the United States discussed their cooperation on the ongoing situation in Ukraine, with a focus on stopping the Russian invasion and urging Russia to agree to a ceasefire for negotiations.
- The conversation between Chancellor Merz and President Trump also included a potential visit by Trump to Germany, an invitation extended by Merz based on Trump's German ancestry from Kallstadt in Rheinland-Pfalz.
- The discussion between the two leaders also touched upon the ongoing tariff dispute between the US and the EU, with both parties committing to addressing the issue promptly, although no immediate solutions were announced.
