Germany's Merz says he found Trump open to dialogue and committed to NATO
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, a day after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, that he encountered a U.S. administration open to discussion and returned confident that Washington remains committed to NATO.
Merz described his Oval Office meeting and extended lunch with Trump as constructive but also candid, noting that the two leaders expressed different views on Ukraine.
"Yesterday, in the meeting at the Oval Office, I expressed a distinctly different position on the topic of Ukraine than the one Trump had taken, and not only was there no objection, but we discussed it in detail again over lunch," Merz said in Berlin after his return.
Thursday's White House meeting marked the first time the two sat down in person. Merz, who became chancellor in May, avoided the kind of confrontations in the Oval Office that have tripped up other world leaders, including Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa.
The two leaders opened with pleasantries. Merz presented Trump with a gold-framed birth certificate of the president's grandfather, Friedrich Trump, who emigrated from Kallstadt, Germany. Trump called Merz a 'very good man to deal with.'
The American administration, he said, is open to discussion, listens, and is willing to accept differing opinions.
Add he added that dialogue should go both ways: 'Let's stop talking about Donald Trump with a raised finger and wrinkled nose. You have to talk with him, not about him."
He said he also met with senators on Capitol Hill, urging them to recognize the scale of Russian rearmament.
'Please take a look at how far Russia's armament is going, what they are currently doing there; you obviously have no idea what's happening,' he said he told them. 'In short, you can talk to them, but you must not let yourself be intimidated. I don't have that inclination anyway.'
Merz, who speaks English fluently, stressed the need for transatlantic trust and said he reminded Trump that allies matter.
'Whether we like it or not, we will remain dependent on the United States of America for a long time,' he said. 'But you also need partners in the world, and the Europeans, especially the Germans, are the best-suited partners.
'This is the difference between authoritarian systems and democracies: authoritarian systems have subordinates. Democracies have partners — and we want to be those partners in Europe and with America.'
He reiterated that the U.S. remains committed to NATO, particularly as Germany and others boost their defence spending. Trump has in the past suggested that the U.S. might abandon its commitments to the alliance if member countries don't meet defence spending targets.
'I have absolutely no doubt that the American government is committed to NATO, especially now that we've all said we're doing more. We're ensuring that we can also defend ourselves in Europe, and I believe this expectation was not unjustified," Merz said.
"We've been the free riders of American security guarantees for years, and we're changing that now.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
34 minutes ago
- First Post
The Deng doctrine: How China weaponises rare earths to gain leverage in trade war with the US
China has signalled for more than 15 years that it was looking to weaponise areas of the global supply chain, a strategy modelled on longstanding American export controls Beijing views as aimed at stalling its rise. read more China has long indicated its intention to weaponise parts of the global supply chain—a strategy now visibly playing out through tighter control of rare earth exports. Modelled on longstanding US export restrictions that Beijing believes are designed to limit its technological rise, China is now turning similar tools to its own advantage. The recent rush by companies to secure export licences for rare earth materials, culminating in a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, highlights how Beijing has refined a powerful lever in the ongoing trade war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Industry experts say China may approve more shipments in the near term but it has no plans to dismantle the new system underpinning those approvals. Instead, China's new export licensing regime, closely mirroring the US model grants the government deeper visibility into global supply chokepoints including critical sectors such as electric vehicle motors and precision systems used in missiles. This level of control offers Beijing a potent means to retaliate in the trade dispute while asserting dominance in strategically vital markets. China sharpens rare earth export controls in trade war playbook As relations between the two countries sour and supply chains fracture, both Washington and Beijing appear determined to shift from broad tariffs to more focused, technical barriers—ones that could have lasting implications for industries worldwide. 'China originally took inspiration for these export control methods from the comprehensive U.S. sanctions regime,' Zhu Junwei, a scholar at the Grandview Institution, a Beijing-based think tank focused on international relations told Reuters. 'China has been trying to build its own export control systems since then, to be used as a last resort.' After a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump said the two leaders were 'straightening out some of the points,' particularly regarding rare earth magnets—key components in electric vehicle (EV) motors and high-tech weaponry. But Trump did not confirm whether Beijing had agreed to speed up export licensing, a sticking point since Washington imposed restrictions on chip design software and jet engines over what it calls China's deliberate slow-walking of approvals. China, which holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, added some of the most advanced types to its export control list in April. The move forces all exporters to seek government licences before shipping these materials, turning a once-obscure division of the commerce ministry—staffed by around 60 people—into a powerful gatekeeper of global manufacturing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The export curbs, part of a broader retaliation package against US tariffs, have had ripple effects well beyond the US. Several European auto parts manufacturers were forced to shut down production lines this week after exhausting their supply of rare earth magnets, underscoring the global reach of Beijing's measures. Though China's commerce ministry has not publicly commented on the issue, analysts say the blanket controls offer Beijing both leverage in its trade war with Washington and a strategic tool to reshape global supply chains in its favour. 'Beijing has a degree of plausible deniability – no one can prove China is doing this on purpose,' Noah Barkin, senior adviser at Rhodium Group, a China-focused U.S. thinktank told Reuters. 'But the rate of approvals is a pretty clear signal that China is sending a message, exerting pressure to prevent trade negotiations with the U.S. leading to additional technology control.' China mines about 70% of the world's rare earths but maintains a near-monopoly on refining and processing, giving it a powerful position in global manufacturing. Even if export approvals accelerate, as U.S. President Donald Trump indicated after a call with President Xi Jinping, Beijing's new licensing system offers it unprecedented visibility into how companies use these critical materials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD European and U.S. executives warn that by forcing exporters to apply for licences, China's government can now closely monitor supplier chokepoints in sectors ranging from electric vehicles to advanced weaponry, oversight that other governments lack due to the complexity of global supply chains. Hundreds of Japanese companies are expected to need Chinese export approvals for rare earth magnets in the coming weeks, a person lobbying on their behalf told Reuters. Without timely licences, they risk production disruptions, underscoring how Beijing's new trade tools could reshape access to materials essential to modern industry. 'It's sharpening China's scalpel,' said a US-based executive at a company seeking to piece together an alternative supply chain who sought anonymity. 'It's not a way to oversee the export of magnets, but a way to gain influence and advantage over America.' China's export controls deepen as fears grow over weaponisation of supply chain power Fears that China could weaponise its dominance in critical supply chains first emerged in 2010, when it briefly halted rare earth exports to Japan during a territorial dispute. But those concerns have intensified in recent years as Beijing sharpens its trade tools and broadens export restrictions across strategic sectors. As far back as 1992, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping noted, 'The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths.' That sentiment has shaped policy: in 2020, China passed a sweeping Export Control Law allowing it to restrict exports of any items deemed vital to national security, including materials, technology and data. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since then, China has built up its own sanctions arsenal in response to U.S. restrictions, investing heavily in alternative supply chains while tightening its grip on key exports. In 2022, the United States imposed broad curbs on chip and semiconductor tool exports to China, aiming to slow the country's military and AI advancements. But analysts say Beijing has continued to make headway despite those barriers. In retaliation, China has steadily expanded its export controls. Last year it imposed licensing requirements for gallium, germanium, and certain graphite products—vital inputs for defence, electronics, and green technologies. Shipments of these minerals to the U.S. were banned outright in December. Then in February, China added five more metals to its control list. Now, following a phone call between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, attention has turned to whether China will ease its latest rare earth export curbs. But analysts warn of a lack of transparency. 'It's virtually impossible to know what percentage of requests for non-military end users get approved because the data is not public and companies don't want to publicly confirm either way,' said Cory Combs, an analyst at China-focused consultancy Trivium. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The opaqueness of Beijing's process and its expanding powers over chokepoint materials are reinforcing Western concerns that supply chains are becoming geopolitical battlegrounds. With inputs from agencies
Hans India
35 minutes ago
- Hans India
Russia accuses Ukraine of postponing prisoner swap
Moscow: Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of indefinitely delaying a planned exchange of prisoners and the handover of fallen soldiers' bodies. Russia has handed over the first list of 640 prisoners to Ukraine and begun transferring bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers, but Ukrainian negotiators did not arrive at the exchange site, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said in a telegram post. He called on Ukraine to "strictly adhere to the schedule and all agreements reached, and to immediately begin the exchange." Kiev did not immediately respond to the accusation, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on June 2, Russia and Ukraine had agreed to another major prisoner exchange in their latest round of direct talks in Istanbul, head of the Russian Delegation Vladimir Medinsky said. Medinsky said that the deal will include an "all-for-all" exchange of seriously ill and wounded prisoners, as well as soldiers under the age of 25. He noted that no fewer than 1,000 prisoners are expected to participate in the exchange from each side, calling the agreement a "humanitarian gesture." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that a prisoner exchange under a "500-for-500" formula would take place this weekend. The official also said Moscow would return Ukraine 6,000 bodies of fallen soldiers next week. "We specifically proposed a ceasefire for 2 to 3 days along certain sections of the front line," he told at a briefing following the talks, adding that Russian military specialists would work with those from Ukraine, so commanders can retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers. During the talks, which lasted over an hour, the two sides solved several "practical problems," according to Medinsky. He said that Moscow and Kiev agreed to set up permanent medical commissions that would regularly compile lists of seriously wounded soldiers and facilitate their exchange. He confirmed that Russia passed its two-part memorandum to the Ukrainian side, which outlines the steps towards lasting peace and a ceasefire. Medinsky said Ukraine handed Moscow a list of 339 children, who have been separated from their parents due to the ongoing conflict, noting that Moscow would carefully look into each one of these cases. He said that Russia had recently returned 101 children and 22 children have returned from the Ukrainian side. Russian and Ukrainian delegations held their second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, following their initial meeting earlier in May. The sides agreed on a major prisoner swap, and to exchange draft memorandums outlining potential terms for a future peace treaty during talks.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Oppressor!': Taliban slams US over travel ban; cites hypocrisy over its actions in Gaza
The Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, condemned US President Donald Trump's decision to bar Afghans from entering the United States, calling the country an 'oppressor. ' In his first public response to the Trump administration's latest travel restrictions, Akhundzada questioned the decision. "Why? Because they claim the Afghan government has no control over its people and that people are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you call friendship with humanity?' His remarks come as the Taliban leadership continues its bid for legitimacy and global engagement, nearly four years after reclaiming control over Afghanistan. 'Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their land — and Afghans are not allowed either,' Akhundzada said in a 45-minute Eid al-Adha message released from Kandahar, the Taliban's power base. The US administration, in its justification, cited Afghanistan's lack of a reliable central authority and weak security screening processes, saying such shortcomings pose a potential threat to American national security. It also points to the high rate of visa overstays among Afghan travellers. But Akhundzada linked the ban to broader US foreign policy, accusing Washington of hypocrisy over its actions in Gaza. 'You are committing acts that are beyond tolerance,' he said, referring to the killing of civilians in the ongoing conflict. Trump's executive order, signed earlier this week, suspended visa access for citizens of several nations, including Afghanistan. It also gave a blow to Afghan refugees, especially those who had assisted American forces during the 20-year war and are now stranded in limbo after Trump's earlier move to suspend key refugee resettlement schemes. The policy applies to Afghans hoping to settle in the US permanently and also to those looking to stay temporarily, for studies. In a separate address on Saturday, Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund called on Afghans living abroad to return to their homeland, promising safety and support. 'Afghans who have left the country should return to their homeland,' he said in a statement posted to X. 'Nobody will harm them.' 'Come back to your ancestral land and live in an atmosphere of peace.' The prime minister also criticised international media for what he described as biased portrayals of the Taliban government. 'The media should avoid false judgments and should not minimise the accomplishments of the system,' he said. 'While challenges exist, we must remain vigilant.' Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have enforced severe restrictions, including banning women from education beyond the sixth grade and from most public spaces, while seeking recognition from the international community. So far, no country has formally recognised the Taliban government, though it maintains diplomatic ties with China, Russia and several regional players. Meanwhile, Afghan refugees in Pakistan face growing pressure as Islamabad continues its deportation campaign. Nearly a million Afghans have fled Pakistan since October 2023 amid fears of arrest and forced expulsion, further complicating the humanitarian situation for those still seeking safe passage to the West.
