Merz didn't get Trump's commitment on Ukraine. What is known about the meeting between the German Chancellor and the US President

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Washington with a clear goal: to persuade President Donald Trump to take a more active stance in supporting Ukraine. But despite the warm atmosphere of the meeting and mutual compliments, no concrete steps were achieved from the head of the White House.

The details of the meeting are reported by The New York Times.

To Mertz's request to increase pressure on Russia, Trump responded with restraint - and even irony:

Sometimes you see two kids fighting in the park. You want to break them up, and they don't want to. Sometimes it's better to let them fight," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

He compared the war to a hockey game in which "the referees allow a fight before they separate the players." He said he voiced the same analogy in a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin.

I said to Putin: you may have to fight and suffer some more, because both sides suffer before they can be separated.

The German chancellor, keeping a stony expression on his face, tried to remind Trump that it is America that has the power to stop the war.

He is the key figure who can do that by putting pressure on Russia," Merz said.

But there was no confirmation of new sanctions or promises of arms deliveries in response. Asked about a timeline for possible restrictions against the Kremlin, Trump vaguely replied that "the deadline is in his head." Moreover, he hinted that financial measures could affect both sides of the conflict: "You know, it's two people dancing the tango."

According to Trump's aides, he is unhappy with both leaders - Putin and Zelensky, although the latter annoys him more.

'He thinks Zelensky is a bad guy who is pushing the world towards nuclear war,' the sources said.

Nevertheless, the US president admits that Ukraine is defending itself while Moscow continues to bomb peaceful cities.

Despite the lack of real results, the meeting was scandal-free. The president even called Merz "a very honourable man" and added: "He is complex. That's a compliment."

The German delegation prepared for the meeting in advance: it consulted with European colleagues, avoided confrontation and political traps. Merz himself said after the talks that he and Trump had a good personal relationship.

Nevertheless, the German side made it clear: the meeting was crucial. Europe expected the US to lead the effort to end the war. Instead of leadership, however, Trump once again went into metaphors - from children in the park to hockey players on the ice.

When Mertz reminded Trump of the anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy - 6 June 1944 - the American leader responded with a joke about the Nazis:

It was not a pleasant day for you.

The chancellor was serious:

It was the liberation of my country from the Nazi dictatorship. We know we owe you a debt of gratitude. And that's why I ask: America is once again in a position where it can influence and stop the war.

But Trump again avoided answering, focusing on praise for the US economy and military. Sanctions, in his view, are meaningless - Putin, he says, has "rebuilt the economy" under pressure.

As for Senator Lindsey Graham's bill for new restrictions against Russia, Trump said:

I haven't read the legislation, but the senators will do what I say anyway.

US and German officials admit: Merz had no illusions about influencing Trump. The purpose of the visit was to maintain at least minimal US involvement in European affairs.

"I urged Putin to stop the war," Trump said. - "But he said he couldn't, because of the Ukrainian strikes on Russian planes."

And he added with his usual bluntness:

It looks like things are going to get ugly.

The meeting passed without promises, but with an obvious conclusion: Washington, despite its power, refuses to play the role of arbiter in the European war. And the figure that Merz called "key" prefers to watch from the sidelines.