The NYT learned about the situation in the White House after Merz's words about the truce

The statements of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the truce, made at the meeting of the presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Vladimir Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House, provoked an atmosphere close to scandal. This was reported by The New York Times (NYT) on August 20.

"The closest thing to a diplomatic scandal came when Merz repeated in front of the camera his belief that negotiations between Zelensky and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin were possible only if there was a cease—fire," the article says.

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