Merz studied Zelenskyy scandal in White House before meeting with Trump

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that before meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, he studied the situation that occurred with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in February of the previous year.

“I immediately tell myself: in such an atmosphere, there is no point in engaging in a contentious discussion. I have closely observed those who tried to do so and ended up in a losing position,” Merz said in an interview with the magazine Der Spiegel, responding to a question about whether he had any internal mindset or mantra during the meeting with Trump to help maintain his composure.

When asked if he had studied Zelenskyy’s appearance, the German Chancellor responded affirmatively. “Of course. I always adapt to my counterpart,” he noted. At the same time, Merz emphasized that he strives to maintain good personal relations with the American president. “So far, I have succeeded in doing so,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the head of the German government explained his silence following sharp statements by the U.S. President regarding Spain. “It was a short monologue. But I am not going to start discussing Spain or the United Kingdom in front of the press in the Oval Office. I told the President behind closed doors that both countries are reliable NATO partners whom we must not lose,” Merz concluded.

On February 28, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. During the conversation in the presence of journalists, a skirmish broke out between them, during which Trump pointed out Zelenskyy’s disrespectful attitude toward the U.S., and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance noted that Zelenskyy forgot to thank Washington for the support provided to Kyiv. The press conference following the meeting was canceled.

Source: TASS