Next German chancellor Merz: White House dispute was deliberate US provocation

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the German Christian Democratic Party and projected next chancellor, believes that the dispute in the White House during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was deliberately caused by the US side.

Mertz said he had watched the footage of the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office several times.

"In my opinion, there was no spontaneous reaction to Zelenskyy's statements at this meeting in the Oval Office, but obviously, there was a deliberate escalation. Usually, such meetings with the press last only a few minutes. On Friday, it was different," Mertz said.

He noted that he was "quite surprised, including by the mutual tone of the dialogue".

Mertz said the clash between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump fits in with the US government's current behaviour.

At the same time, he stressed that he is in favour of "doing everything possible to keep Americans in Europe". Merz believes that the US is also interested in this.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the White House early on Friday, 28 February, after a quarrel with Donald Trump and JD Vance.

In response, Donald Trump said that the Ukrainian president had been disrespectful to the United States and that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not ready for peace.