"Merz, who used his speaking time in the Oval Office to press the US president on Ukraine, told Trump that he wanted to work together to put more pressure on Russia and reminded Trump that the violence he abhorred seeing was a result of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

He told Trump that the German people owed the US gratitude for its role in defeating Nazi Germany in the second world war.

"America is again in a very strong position to do something on ending this war [in Ukraine], so let's talk about doing what we can," he said. "We are looking for more pressure on Russia, we should talk about that."

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Well, at least there was one statesman in the room.

"While the drone strikes dealt a tangible blow to Russia's military capacity and offered a morale boost for Kyiv, the broader picture remains less rosy for Ukraine.

More than three years after launching its invasion, Russia is largely on the offensive, making steady battlefield gains in eastern Ukraine and continuing to pound Ukrainian cities and civilians with drones and missiles.

Putin's forces have been advancing further into Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, threatening the regional capital after taking more than 150 sq km of the area in less than two weeks.

With Putin showing no willingness to agree to a lasting ceasefire, Ukrainian officials and the military are preparing for a Russian summer offensive, with Moscow intent on advancing into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions."