(Photo: Anadolu)
BERLIN – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea during a phone call on Thursday.
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said the two leaders exchanged views on the next steps toward ending the Ukraine war, with Merz welcoming the US Congress’ passage of the Graham sanctions legislation targeting Russia and its supporters.
Merz and Trump also agreed on the need to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, two major routes for global trade and energy shipments.
The two leaders also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, with Merz emphasizing what he described as the special ties between Germany and the United States.
The call had originally been planned for the previous week but was rescheduled. It came amid recent tensions after Trump publicly praised the electoral gains of the far-right Alternative for Germany party in Saxony-Anhalt, prompting criticism from German officials.
