Media: German ex-chancellor describes Russia as powerful nuclear country comments on Trump-Zelenskyy confrontation

German ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led Germany from 2005 to 2021, has described Russia as a powerful nuclear state that elicits a certain degree of admiration from US President Donald Trump.

Merkel described Russia as "a vast country with abundant natural resources, a powerful nuclear power", Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

She emphasised that such a nation naturally generates "a certain admiration from someone like Donald Trump." However, she made it clear that this admiration does not mean Trump intends to do Russia any favours, pointing out that his main priority is advancing his own agenda of "making America great again."

Merkel also commented on the notorious confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. The encounter, which has drawn widespread attention, was described by Merkel as "very depressing."

She expressed regret over having witnessed the tense exchange, stating, "I don’t want to comment on it. I will just say that I would have preferred not to have seen that meeting." Merkel said that the meeting was widely observed in Russia, including by Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

She noted the impact of the confrontation, stating that it was "watched across all of Russia." She concluded by adding that she would never wish to witness such events again, underscoring the negative impression the encounter left on her.

The diplomatic fallout stems from the February 28 meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House. The discussions were originally intended to centre on a mineral deal but quickly spiralled into a contentious dispute. The meeting, which also included US Vice President J.D. Vance, reportedly became heated, with Vance criticizing what he viewed as Kyiv’s ungrateful attitude toward American support. The tensions escalated to the point that Zelenskyy left the White House prematurely, and the anticipated agreement was never finalized.

By Naila Huseynova