On Tuesday, March 3rd, US President Trump and German Chancellor Merkel held a meeting at the White House to discuss issues concerning Iran, trade, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Trump expressed his gratitude to Merkel for supporting the joint military action against Iran by the US and Israel.
Merkel is the first European leader to visit the US following the outbreak of the conflict in Iran. The US and Germany have long been strong allies, with Germany being a powerhouse in the European economy and the US being a key partner in NATO.
During the military operations in Iran, Trump mentioned that Germany allowed US troops to land in certain areas of their military bases to provide assistance. However, Trump clarified that the US did not request Germany to send troops.
“They allowed us to land in certain areas, and we appreciate that. They just provided facilities. We did not ask them to send troops,” the President said.
Trump also emphasized the strong relationship he maintains with Germany, especially with Merkel, whom he referred to as an “excellent leader.”
Merkel stated that both Germany and the US aim to overthrow the current regime in Iran, and he mentioned that he would discuss the post-military operation plans with Trump.
“Our stance on overthrowing the terrible regime in Tehran is aligned. As for what will happen afterward, we will further discuss that,” Merkel said in the Oval Office of the White House.
“We both hope for a swift end to this war,” Merkel added. “Therefore, we hope that Israel and the US military are taking the right actions to end this conflict and truly establish a new government that can restore peace and freedom.”
Merkel expressed his appreciation to Trump for meeting him during “challenging times.”
Apart from the Iran conflict, Merkel’s visit to the US also included other priority agendas. In the Oval Office, he informed the media that he would discuss issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the US-EU trade agreement with Trump.
“We must talk about Ukraine. There are simply too many bad actors in this world,” Merkel said. “This is a matter we must address because we all want this war to end as soon as possible.”
Regarding trade, Merkel is urging Trump to promptly resolve the issue of the tariffs imposed by the US on EU goods. An EU assessment found that after the US Supreme Court overturned the tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the new global tariffs Trump declared based on another regulation would increase the export tariffs on EU cheese and certain agricultural products above the levels agreed upon in last year’s US-EU trade framework agreement.
Trump mentioned that he and the German Chancellor would also discuss issues related to China.