New York Times. December 15, 2026. By Jim Tankersley. Reporting from Munich, Berlin and the German chancellor’s aircraft.
“Mr. Merz’s approach is being severely tested. He has lost support at home since taking office in May. His courtship of Mr. Trump has mostly minimized damage to Europe on issues like trade and the war in Ukraine thus far.
But Mr. Merz remains the strongest leader standing among Europe’s major powers, especially now that President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain are faltering domestically. He is emerging as Europe’s indispensable leader — or at least, acting like it.
When Mr. Trump’s negotiators stunned Europe by reaching a Moscow-friendly agreement with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Mr. Merz was the first continental leader to get Mr. Trump on the phone and push back.
Mr. Merz still believes he can coax Mr. Trump to break decisively from Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president.
‘I remain hopeful that we will permanently convince the United States and win them over to end this war together with us in Ukraine,” he told me. “That means we must support Ukraine until Russia can no longer continue this war economically. That is the only option we have.'”