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Trump-Zelenskyy clash was 'manufactured escalation', says Germany's likely next leaderMerz, who is seeking to form a coalition after his conservatives won a snap election last month, said that Europe was now under pressure to act quickly.
Reuters
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<div class="paragraphs"><p>Friedrich Merz, chancellor-in-waiting and leader of Christian Democratic Union party </p></div>

Friedrich Merz, chancellor-in-waiting and leader of Christian Democratic Union party

Credit: Reuters Photo

Berlin: A clash between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House was a "manufactured escalation", Germany's likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday.

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"It was not a spontaneous reaction to interventions by Zelenskyy, but obviously a manufactured escalation in this meeting in the Oval Office," Merz told a news conference in Hamburg.

Merz, who is seeking to form a coalition after his conservatives won a snap election last month, said that Europe was now under pressure to act quickly.

"We must now show that we are in a position to act independently in Europe," he said.

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(Published 03 March 2025, 19:23 IST)