Merkel urged against going out of one's way to please Trump
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, commenting on her interactions with U.S. President Donald Trump, said that one should not go out of one’s way to adapt to his communication style.
Merkel’s statement was reported by DW.
Commenting on how, in her opinion, one should interact with Donald Trump, the former chancellor advised seeking common ground and acting “without fear.”
“Don’t try to please him too much—at least I never had any illusions about that, even when things were going well—and don’t try to be too provocative: that’s exactly how I behaved,” she said in an interview with Focus magazine, as quoted by DW.
Merkel also warned against underestimating Trump.
“Anyone who has reached such positions simply has incredible power. And that is precisely why this must be taken very, very seriously,” Merkel said.
It should be noted that Merkel is viewed as a potential mediator in negotiations between the EU and Russia.
Berlin called Russia’s proposal regarding Schröder’s mediation a fiction.
