Merz says he urged Trump to increase pressure on Putin

RiddleMaster · 2026-03-04T01:42:13+00:00

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Donald Trump to pressure Russia over the Ukraine conflict. He emphasized the need for a Europe-supported peace agreement, rejecting any deal made without European involvement.

RiddleMaster

2026-03-04 01:42:13

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WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking after a meeting ‌with Donald Trump on Tuesday, said he had urged the president to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ⁠war in Ukraine.

“Russia is playing for time here, and in doing so is also acting against the will of the American president. In today’s talks, I called for increasing the pressure on Moscow,” he ‌told ⁠reporters.

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The United States, Russia and Ukraine are taking part in trilateral talks aimed at securing a peace deal. Merz ⁠though said only a pact supported by Europe could be lasting.

“We are not ⁠prepared to accept an agreement that is negotiated over our ⁠heads,” he said.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Andreas Rinke, writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis

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