Latest news with #BlairHouse
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New German Chancellor Merz to meet Trump in White House on Thursday
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Thursday, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in Berlin on Saturday. A meeting between the two leaders at the White House, a joint lunch and a subsequent press event are planned, he said. This is the first meeting between the two since Merz took office on May 6. Before that, they had only briefly encountered each other many years ago in New York. Merz will depart for Washington on Wednesday evening after a dinner with the premiers of Germany's 16 federal states in Berlin, Kornelius said. At the state premiers' conference on Thursday, he will be represented his chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, he added. Trump will have the chancellor stay at his guest house, Blair House, next to the White House - a special honour, Kornelius said. The talks in Washington are expected to focus on efforts to end the Ukraine war, NATO's response to growing external threats and the trade dispute between the United States and the European Union. However, the main issue is whether the two can establish a good rapport.
Irish Times
06-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
‘Friendly' chat between Donald Trump and Mark Carney leaves US-Canada relationship unclear
It was his first trip to Washington as Canada's new prime minister and for Mark Carney , the task could not have been more straightforward: to go to the White House to explain to the United States president why his country is not for sale. There were good signs, such as the Maple Leaf flag fluttering proudly above Blair House, where the Canadian entourage waited to be summoned. And troubling intimations too, such as the social media post issued by Donald Trump minutes before they were due to meet asking why the US is 'subsidising Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year'. The opening remarks, in the Oval Office, could not have been warmer. Trump complimented 'Mark' on his stunning election victory. 'I think I was probably the greatest thing that happened to him. But I can't take full credit. His party was losing by a lot and he ended up winning so I really want to congratulate him. Probably one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics – maybe even greater than mine.' Trump assured watching Canadians that they had chosen 'a very talented person' to lead them. He riffed on the Houthis promising they would suspend their attacks on US trading ships, and promised an-end-of-week announcement that would be one of the biggest 'made in many years', about 'a certain subject, a very important subject'. READ MORE 'I'm at the edge of my seat,' Carney said when it was his turn to speak, before offering the measured praise that his host was 'a transformational president'. The 40-minute Oval Office conversation deepened the fog over Trump's ultimate tariff intent towards Canada rather than provide clarity for beleaguered companies and workers. 'Friendship' was the chief concession he wanted from Canada. Against that, he was blunt when asked whether there was anything Carney could do to entice him to remove the tariffs imposed on Canada in March and April. 'No. That's just the way it is.' Referring to the 25 per cent levy imposed by his administration on foreign-made cars, Trump said: 'At a certain point it won't make economic sense for Canada to build those cars.' He added: 'And we really don't want Canadian steel. Or Canadian aluminum. Because we want to be able to do it ourselves.' Many thousands of business owners and workers no doubt listened intently to try to decipher the meaning and future behind these words. As reporters fired questions and Trump continued to hold the floor, there was nothing for Carney to do but, in common with other world leaders who have sat in the same chair, glance around the gilded decor and gold portrait frames on the Oval Office walls as he tried to follow the darting, disparate thoughts of the president as they fluttered like so many birds around the room. He looked pained when Trump made a veiled criticism of Chrystia Freeland, Canada's former finance minister who resigned last December over a disagreement with Justin Trudeau over how to deal with the tariff threat. His face showed surprise at the president's contention that Canada does nothing for the US, given that it buys some US$350 billion (€308 billion) of American goods. And he looked alert – literally moving to the edge of his seat – when Trump was asked about making Canada the 51st US state. Expressing his continued support for such a move, Trump added: 'But it takes two to tango, right? I believe it would be a massive tax cut for the Canadian citizens. Free military, medical care and other things.' What they wouldn't have, of course, is Canada. Their country. But still Trump pressed ahead and introduced a new perspective on his art-of-the-deal repertoire as he erased the northern border. 'And it is also a beautiful – I am a real estate developer at heart. When you get rid of that artificially drawn line – somebody drew that line many years ago with like a ruler, just a straight line across the top of the country; when you look at that beautiful formation when it's together ... I'm a very artistic person and I said, that's the way it is meant to be. I do feel it is much better for Canada. But we are not going to be discussing that unless somebody wants to discuss it.' Somebody did. Prime minister Carney. 'If I may ... as you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. We are sitting in one right now. Buckingham Palace that you visited as well. Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign over the last several months, it's not for sale. It won't be for sale, ever.' It could not have been more clearly articulated. Trump appeared to consider all of this thoughtfully. The conversation moved on to trade and tariffs and back to Canada as the 51st. 'Never say never,' Trump said, ignoring the fact that his guest had minutes earlier said 'never'. Then, like old friends, they went to lunch.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
French President Macron tells Trump to 'be careful' in the negotiation process to end Russia's war in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron praised U.S. President Donald Trump for taking steps to end Russia's war against Ukraine but warned the commander-in-chief to "be careful" in the negotiation process. "We want peace. And I think the initiative of President Trump is a very positive one. But my message was to say be careful because we need something substantial for Ukraine," he said in an interview from the Blair House Monday on "Special Report." "I think the arrival of President Trump is a game-changer. And I think he has the deterrence capacity of the U.S. to reengage with Russia." Macron, who met with Trump at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said the U.S. and France need to work together to determine lasting future security guarantees. He emphasized the need for more than just a ceasefire in the war due to previous violations by Russia in 2014 and 2015 with regard to the Minsk Agreements. World leaders from Sweden, Estonia, Canada, Finland and Denmark met with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv Monday to show their support for the war-torn country. Read On The Fox News App Kyiv Endures A Third Bombardment In 5 Days As Russia Steps Up Targeting Of Ukrainian Cities "We all strive for peace and want to make it as reliable and lasting as possible. Today, we discussed the need for security guarantees for Ukraine and real ways to ensure an end to this Russian aggression and prevent any new one. Peace is needed," Zelenskyy said in a post on X after meeting with key allies. Us-ukraine Rift Breaks Out At United Nations On 3Rd Anniversary Of The War Macron told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier he sees the possibility of a truce between Russia and Ukraine in the coming weeks. "[A] truce on air, sea [and] infrastructures," the French president explained. "If it is not respected, it will be the best evidence of the fact that Russia is not serious." During the truce, Macron suggested there would be negotiations on security guarantees, land, occupied territories and reconstruction. The Trump administration is working to finalize a rare earth mineral deal with Ukraine that it says will recoup the tens of billions of dollars in aid Washington has sent to Kyiv. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that he considers the proposed deal to be a "win-win" economic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine that signifies its interest in the country long-term. Macron said discussions are still ongoing about European countries' roles in maintaining peace in Ukraine once the war is over. "We worked very hard together with the UK prime minister to have a French-UK proposal to say we are ready to send troops, not to go to the front line, not to go in confrontation, but to be in some locations, being defined by the treaty, as a presence to maintain this peace and our collective credibility with the US backup and the US backstop."Original article source: French President Macron tells Trump to 'be careful' in the negotiation process to end Russia's war in Ukraine
Fox News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
French President Macron tells Trump to 'be careful' in the negotiation process to end Russia's war in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron praised U.S. President Donald Trump for taking steps to end Russia's war against Ukraine but warned the commander-in-chief to "be careful" in the negotiation process. "We want peace. And I think the initiative of President Trump is a very positive one. But my message was to say be careful because we need something substantial for Ukraine," he said in an interview from the Blair House Monday on "Special Report." "I think the arrival of President Trump is a game-changer. And I think he has the deterrence capacity of the U.S. to reengage with Russia." Macron, who met with Trump at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said the U.S. and France need to work together to determine lasting future security guarantees. He emphasized the need for more than just a ceasefire in the war due to previous violations by Russia in 2014 and 2015 with regard to the Minsk Agreements. World leaders from Sweden, Estonia, Canada, Finland and Denmark met with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv Monday to show their support for the war-torn country. "We all strive for peace and want to make it as reliable and lasting as possible. Today, we discussed the need for security guarantees for Ukraine and real ways to ensure an end to this Russian aggression and prevent any new one. Peace is needed," Zelenskyy said in a post on X after meeting with key allies. Macron told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier he sees the possibility of a truce between Russia and Ukraine in the coming weeks. "[A] truce on air, sea [and] infrastructures," the French president explained. "If it is not respected, it will be the best evidence of the fact that Russia is not serious." During the truce, Macron suggested there would be negotiations on security guarantees, land, occupied territories and reconstruction. The Trump administration is working to finalize a rare earth mineral deal with Ukraine that it says will recoup the tens of billions of dollars in aid Washington has sent to Kyiv. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that he considers the proposed deal to be a "win-win" economic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine that signifies its interest in the country long-term. Macron said discussions are still ongoing about European countries' roles in maintaining peace in Ukraine once the war is over. "We worked very hard together with the UK prime minister to have a French-UK proposal to say we are ready to send troops, not to go to the front line, not to go in confrontation, but to be in some locations, being defined by the treaty, as a presence to maintain this peace and our collective credibility with the US backup and the US backstop."
