"Just difficult…": Germany's Chancellor Merz On Relations With US President Trump

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he is striving to maintain a workable personal relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump despite clear differences, describing the dynamic as “difficult” but necessary given their respective roles, while noting that conversations improve behind closed doors; speaking at a Berlin banking event, Merz also stressed the importance of strong European banks but firmly rejected hostile takeovers in reference to Commerzbank, as European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde urged financial institutions to invest their substantial savings within Europe, calling for unity and cooperation instead of “bickering about stupid things” in the face of strategic and economic challenges.