Trump and Merz discuss Ukraine and tariffs at White House
發佈日期: 2025-06-06 21:11
TVB News
U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz bonded during a White House meeting on Thursday with talks revolving around Ukraine, trade and troops.
Merz also reminded Trump that June 6th is the D-Day anniversary.
Trump and Merz met in the Oval Office, a site of recent showdowns between the U.S. president and other visiting dignitaries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
But not so this time. Merz and Trump seemingly having a warm rapport from the start. Both leaders want to see an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump believing more people have died in that war than we all think.
U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trump:"Millions of people, millions of people have died, much more than people thought. And I've been saying that for a long time. The amount of death in that war is far greater than the news has been reporting or that, frankly, that either side has been reporting. It's a very sad thing. And I can tell you, just speaking for the Chancellor as we speak about it, he feels the same way. He wants to see it ended. Would you like to say something?"
Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz:"Absolutely. Absolutely. And I'm here, Mr. President, to talk with you later on on how we could contribute to to that goal. And we all are looking for measures and for instruments to bring this terrible war to an end. And may I remind you that we are having June 6th tomorrow. This is D-Day anniversary, when the Americans once ended the war in Europe. That was not a pleasant day for you. No, that wasn't pleasant."
The D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6th, 1944 saw the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles
that breached Hitler's defences in western Europe, which helped end the war.
Trump said that U.S. troops will stay in Germanyand that he welcomed Berlin's commitment to boost its spending on defence.
Then a surprise from Merz who presented the U.S. president with a gold-framed birth certificate of his grandfather Friedrich Trump, who emigrated to America from Kallstadt, Germany. Trump called the chancellor a "very good man to deal with."
Later, talking to reporters, Merz said they also talked about tariffs and trade.
The German chancellor said they have agree that there will be close economic and trade policy cooperation between the White House and the German chancellery, adding both leaders have already named the people who will hold these talks on their behalf.
Merz ended by saying it turned out to be a good conversation with the American president.
