Photo: Bundesregierung/dpa
During the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on US President Donald Trump to increase pressure on the Russian Federation in response to its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. According to Merz, it is the West’s decisive steps that can force the Kremlin to retreat, but the American leader has not confirmed his readiness to join the new package of sanctions, DW reports.
The conversation between Merz and Trump lasted about 20 minutes and took place before the first working session of the summit. The talks focused on the war in Ukraine, the escalation in the Middle East, and the possible expansion of restrictive measures against Moscow. Merz said that he, along with European leaders, supports tougher sanctions to limit Russia’s military capabilities. However, sources in the German government said that Trump did not commit to US participation in these initiatives.
The parties paid special attention to the threat of escalation between Israel and Iran. Merz and Trump agreed on the need to find ways to de-escalate, but the German Chancellor categorically rejected the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mediation in the Middle East conflict. In his view, the Kremlin leader has no moral right to play such a role as long as he continues to wage a full-scale war against Ukraine.
At the same time, the leaders did not discuss trade disputes between the US and the European Union, although in the absence of an agreement, new duties of up to 50% on goods from both sides may come into effect by 9 July. The summit in Kananaskis will last until 17 June, and its key theme will remain support for a strong and sovereign Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to attend the summit in person on Tuesday, but it became known that Donald Trump would leave the meeting early and probably not meet with the Ukrainian leader.
