Donald Trump says it might be good to let Ukraine and Russia ‘fight for a while’

During a meeting in the Oval Office with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, President Donald Trump remarked that it might be better to allow Ukraine and Russia to “fight for a while” before stepping in to separate them and pursue peace. Comparing the conflict to a quarrel between two young children who despise each other, Trump said he had conveyed this analogy to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their phone conversation the previous day.

Chancellor Merz, seated alongside Trump, emphasised their shared condemnation of the ongoing war, describing it as “terrible” and highlighting Trump’s role as a key figure capable of ending the bloodshed. However, Merz was clear that Germany firmly supports Ukraine, noting that Kyiv targets only military objectives and not Russian civilians. “We are trying to get them stronger,” he added.

This marked the first in-person meeting between the two leaders, who exchanged pleasantries including a gift from Merz to Trump—a gold-framed birth certificate of Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich Trump, who emigrated from Germany. Their discussions were expected to cover a range of issues including the war in Ukraine, trade relations, and NATO defence spending.

Since assuming office on 6 May, Merz and Trump have spoken several times by phone, with German officials describing the relationship as “decent” and Merz seeking to avoid the antagonism that characterised Trump’s dealings with his predecessor, Angela Merkel. 

Merz, a conservative with a strong business background and former rival to Merkel, has been active in diplomatic efforts surrounding Ukraine, travelling to Kyiv shortly after taking office and hosting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin last week.

A White House official indicated that Trump planned to raise topics such as Germany’s defence spending, trade, Ukraine, and concerns over “democratic backsliding,” suggesting that shared values like freedom of speech have deteriorated in Germany and should be restored. 

Merz responded by saying he was open to discussing German domestic politics but stressed that Germany generally refrains from commenting on American internal affairs.

Under Merz’s predecessor, Olaf Scholz, Germany became the second-largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Merz has pledged to maintain this support and recently committed to assisting Ukraine in developing long-range missile systems free from range restrictions.

Despite his comments on letting the conflict play out, Trump did not rule out sanctions, warning that “when I see the moment where it’s not going to stop … we’ll be very, very tough,” signalling that sanctions could be imposed on both Ukraine and Russia.

Domestically, Merz’s government is intensifying efforts to strengthen the German military, a campaign initiated by Scholz following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Trump, who criticised Germany during his first term for failing to meet NATO’s 2% GDP defence spending target, is now demanding that allies increase their contributions to at least 5%. 

The upcoming NATO summit in the Netherlands later this month is seen as a crucial opportunity for Germany to commit to this higher spending level.