Merz’s frosty message to Trump from the Arctic
During a visit to Norway, Chancellor Merz expresses his annoyance over the US decision to ease the sanctions against Russia.
Andenes (dpa) – Germany’s Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz toughens his tone towards US President Donald Trump in connection with the wars against Iran and in Ukraine. During a visit to the Norwegian Arctic, he criticised the US decision to temporarily allow the purchase of Russian oil.
“To ease sanctions now, for whatever reasons, we think that is wrong,” Merz said at a press conference with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on the island of Andoya.
Merz accused Trump of isolating the US in the G7 group of leading Western economic powers and lamented the absence of any strategy to end the war.
In the afternoon, Merz and Støre travelled on to Bardufoss, where they and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney observed the Cold Response military exercise being conducted by 14 NATO states in Norway and Finland.
From Germany’s perspective, the exercise, in which 1,600 Bundeswehr soldiers are taking part, is a signal to Trump in the ongoing dispute over Greenland. However, the manoeuvre is also intended to act as a deterrent to Russia, which shares a border with new NATO member state Finland. At the exercise site, Merz, Støre and Carney jointly opposed the US decision to ease sanctions against Russia.
