German chancellor sees "good progress" from Trump-Putin summit tense scenes

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has struck a cautiously optimistic tone after the Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During the closely watched one-on-one meeting in Alaska on Friday, Trump moved “within the line” he had discussed with EU leaders earlier in the week, Merz said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD.

“And I think that is good progress … despite the one or two disturbing images we may have seen,” Merz said. “The press in Russia is jubilant. A little less would also have been enough,” he added.

Describing the Alaska summit as a meeting of “light and shadow,” Merz stressed as a positive the fact that Trump made no concessions on Ukraine’s national sovereignty and borders. “No territorial concessions before there is a peace treaty,” Merz insisted.  

His comments come amid reports that Trump told the European leaders that he now favors Ukraine giving up territory to Russia to end the fighting, something Kyiv has long opposed.  

By Khagan Isayev