German chancellor-designate claims Trump ambushed Zelensky
According to Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, the US intentionally heightened tensions during Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Washington. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The confrontation between the leaders at the White House was “manufactured” by the US, Friedrich Merz has asserted.
According to Germany’s chancellor-designate, Friedrich Merz, the heated exchange that occurred during the challenging discussions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House last week was orchestrated by the US.
During a fraught meeting on Friday, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance reprimanded Zelensky in front of the press in the Oval Office. The altercation began after Zelensky challenged Vance’s proposal that direct talks with Russia could lead to a lasting peace.
Following the encounter, Trump accused Zelensky of disrespectful behavior, while numerous EU politicians quickly defended the Ukrainian leader.
“In my opinion, it was not a spontaneous reaction to interventions by Zelensky, but obviously a manufactured escalation in this meeting in the Oval Office,” Merz stated at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, as reported by Euronews.
The leader of the Christian Democrats expressed that he was “quite surprised by the tone of the conversation” in the White House, noting, “It was not helpful to the cause.”
Merz emphasized that Germany needs to “do much more for our own security in the coming years and decades.” He remarked, “We must now show that we are in a position to act independently in Europe,” adding that Berlin should “do everything we can to keep the Americans in Europe.”
Trump has been urging NATO allies in Europe to increase their military spending and manage a larger share of assistance for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia. Following a recent parliamentary election victory, Merz indicated that the EU cannot continue to depend on the US for its defense and stressed the need for Germany to become more “independent” from Washington.
Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, countered the claims regarding “some kind of ambush,” describing them as “absolutely false.” State Secretary Marco Rubio held Zelensky accountable for the intense exchange, suggesting that “he found every opportunity to try to ‘Ukraine-splain’ on every issue.”
In a conversation with Fox News on Monday, Vance noted that Trump attempted to remain “diplomatic” despite “Zelensky kind of needling him.”
“There is a lack of respect. There was a certain sense of entitlement,” Vance remarked. “I really don’t care what President Zelensky says about me or anybody else. But he showed a clear unwillingness to engage in a peace process,” he added.
Vance confirmed that, after the public confrontation in the Oval Office, Trump opted to shorten Zelensky’s visit and required the Ukrainians to leave the White House, stating, “He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” according to a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform shortly after the meeting.
The argument on Friday represented a peak in the ongoing disagreement between Trump and Zelensky, which reflects larger discrepancies regarding the resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Trump has prioritized achieving a ceasefire as quickly as possible, while Zelensky has rejected making concessions to Russia and contended that a ceasefire is unfeasible without security assurances from the US.
Trump has refrained from offering specific guarantees, ruling out Ukraine's admission to NATO or deploying troops for a potential peacekeeping mission.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to Germany’s chancellor-designate, Friedrich Merz, the heated exchange that occurred during the challenging discussions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House last week was orchestrated by the US.
During a fraught meeting on Friday, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance reprimanded Zelensky in front of the press in the Oval Office. The altercation began after Zelensky challenged Vance’s proposal that direct talks with Russia could lead to a lasting peace.
Following the encounter, Trump accused Zelensky of disrespectful behavior, while numerous EU politicians quickly defended the Ukrainian leader.
“In my opinion, it was not a spontaneous reaction to interventions by Zelensky, but obviously a manufactured escalation in this meeting in the Oval Office,” Merz stated at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, as reported by Euronews.
The leader of the Christian Democrats expressed that he was “quite surprised by the tone of the conversation” in the White House, noting, “It was not helpful to the cause.”
Merz emphasized that Germany needs to “do much more for our own security in the coming years and decades.” He remarked, “We must now show that we are in a position to act independently in Europe,” adding that Berlin should “do everything we can to keep the Americans in Europe.”
Trump has been urging NATO allies in Europe to increase their military spending and manage a larger share of assistance for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia. Following a recent parliamentary election victory, Merz indicated that the EU cannot continue to depend on the US for its defense and stressed the need for Germany to become more “independent” from Washington.
Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, countered the claims regarding “some kind of ambush,” describing them as “absolutely false.” State Secretary Marco Rubio held Zelensky accountable for the intense exchange, suggesting that “he found every opportunity to try to ‘Ukraine-splain’ on every issue.”
In a conversation with Fox News on Monday, Vance noted that Trump attempted to remain “diplomatic” despite “Zelensky kind of needling him.”
“There is a lack of respect. There was a certain sense of entitlement,” Vance remarked. “I really don’t care what President Zelensky says about me or anybody else. But he showed a clear unwillingness to engage in a peace process,” he added.
Vance confirmed that, after the public confrontation in the Oval Office, Trump opted to shorten Zelensky’s visit and required the Ukrainians to leave the White House, stating, “He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” according to a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform shortly after the meeting.
The argument on Friday represented a peak in the ongoing disagreement between Trump and Zelensky, which reflects larger discrepancies regarding the resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Trump has prioritized achieving a ceasefire as quickly as possible, while Zelensky has rejected making concessions to Russia and contended that a ceasefire is unfeasible without security assurances from the US.
Trump has refrained from offering specific guarantees, ruling out Ukraine's admission to NATO or deploying troops for a potential peacekeeping mission.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
