Trump suggests Ukraine, Russia may need “struggle for a while” – my country

president Donald Trump He said on Thursday that it may be better to allow Ukraine Russia “fights for a while” before separating them from each other and following peace.

At an oval office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Mirz, Trump likened the war in Ukraine – which Russia In early 2022 – it was invaded to fight between two young children who hate each other.

“Sometimes it is better to allow them to fight for a while and then dismantle them,” Trump said. He added that he transferred this measurement to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his phone conversation on Wednesday.

When asked about Trump’s comments while the two leaders sat next to each other, Mirz stressed that everyone and Trump agreed “in this war and the terrible extent of this war,” referring to the American president as the “main person in the world” who will be able to stop the bloodshed.

But Mirz also stressed that Germany was “alongside Ukraine” and that Kiev was only attacking military targets, not Russian civilians.

“We try to make them stronger,” said Mirz.

The meeting on Thursday is the first time that the two leaders sit personally. After exchanging compliments-Mirz Trump gave a birth certificate of gold from the grandfather of US President Friedrich Trump, who immigrated from Germany-the two leaders had to discuss issues such as Ukraine, trade and NATO spending.

Trump and Mires spoke several times over the phone, either on the bilateral level or with other European leaders, as Mirz took office on May 6. German officials say that the two leaders have started building a “decent” relationship, as Mirz wants to avoid the Trump’s relationship with one of his predecessors, Angela Merkel, at the party of the first president.

Mirz, 69, who came to his position with a large-scale business background-is a previous conservative competition for Merkel, who took over her party after retiring from politics.

A White House official said that the topics that Trump may raise with Mirz include defense spending for Germany, trade, Ukraine and what the official called “democratic retreat”, saying that the administration’s view is that common values ​​such as freedom of expression have deteriorated in Germany and the country must oppose the path. The official spoke on the condition that his identity is not disclosed to inspect the discussions.

But Mirz told the correspondents on Thursday morning that if Trump wanted to talk about German local policy, he was ready to do this, but he also stressed that Germany retracted when it comes to US local policy.

Mirz threw himself in diplomacy at Ukraine, where he traveled to Kiev with his colleagues, European leaders days after he took office and received Zelinski in Berlin last week. Trump thanked his support for an unconditional ceasefire with the rejection of the idea of ​​”local peace” or “subjugation” of Ukraine and the call for more sanctions against Russia.

In his first phone call since Mirz became a consultant, Trump said he would support Germany and other European countries to achieve peace, according to a reading from the German government. Mirz also said last month that “it is very important that the political West does not allow itself to divide, so I will continue to make every effort to produce the largest possible unit between European and American partners.”

Under Mirz’s direct ancestors, Olaf Schulles, Germany became the second largest supplier for military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Merz pledged to maintain support and pledged last week to help Ukraine to develop its long -range missile systems, which will be free from any borders.

In his comments on Thursday, Trump still leaves the threat of sanctions on the table. He said that the sanctions can be imposed on both Ukraine and Russia.

“When I see the moment you will not stop … we will be very harsh,” Trump said.

Inside, the Mirz government is increasing a campaign started by Schulz in strengthening the German army after Russia has launched a large -scale invasion of Ukraine. In Trump’s first period, Berlin was a target of his temptation to fail to achieve the current goal of NATO to spend two percent of GDP on defense, and Trump is now calling for at least five percent of allies.

The White House official said that the upcoming NATO summit in the Netherlands later this month is a “good opportunity” for Germany to adhere to this 100 percent meeting.

Schools created a special fund of 100 billion euros ($ 115 billion) to modernize the armed forces in Germany – named Bondezoyher – who suffered from years of neglect. Germany met the target by 2 percent thanks to the box, but it will be used in 2027.

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“The government will provide in the future all the funding needed by the Bundzuher to become the most powerful traditional army in Europe,” Mirz said. He supported a plan for all allies to aim to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, in addition to an additional 1.5 percent on things that are likely to be related to defense such as infrastructure.

The maximal priority is to obtain the economy of Germany, the largest of which is in Europe, and it moves again after its shrinking over the past two years. He wants to make it a “locomotive of growth”, but Trump’s tariff threats are a potential obstacle to a country whose exports were major power. At present, the economy is expected to run in 2025.

Germany exported the goods of $ 160 billion to the United States last year, according to the Statistical Office. This was about 85 billion US dollars more than the United States sent to Germany, a commercial deficit that Trump wants to erased.

“Germany is one of the major investors in America,” Mirz told reporters on Thursday morning. “Only a few countries invest more than Germany in the United States of America. We are third in terms of foreign direct investment.”

The US President has gone specifically after the German auto sector, which includes major brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. The Americans bought cars, trucks and auto parts worth 36 billion US dollars from Germany last year, while the Germans bought $ 10.2 billion of cars and spare parts from the United States

The Trump tariff is 25 percent on cars and parts specifically to increase the cost of German cars that it manufactures in the hope that it will cause their factories to be transported to the United States, although many companies have already have factories in the United States with Volkswagen Wagon in Tennessee, BMW in South Carolina and Mercedes-Benz in Alabama South Carolina.

There is only many Mirz, who can achieve it in his opinion that the customs tariff “does not benefit anyone and harms everyone” while he is in Washington, because commercial negotiations are a matter of the European Union’s executive committee. Trump recently last tariffs of 50 percent on the goods coming from the European Union, which would have come into effect this month.

One of the sources of stress in recent months is the Vice President of JD Vance in Munich shortly before the German elections in February, where he gave a lecturer to European leaders about the state of democracy on the continent and said that there is no place for the “Wall of Protection”.

This term is often used to describe the rejection of the prevailing German parties to work with the far -right alternative to Germany, which ranked second in the elections and is now the largest opposition party.

Mirz criticized the comments. ARD Television was told last month that it is not the place of the US Vice President “to say something like this for us in Germany; I will not do it in America as well.”

–Moluson from Berlin mentioned. The Associated Press Josh Bouak writer in Washington contributed to this report.