内容摘要：While four of these remained at Hardwick Hall, a fifth featuring Cleopatra with Justicia and Fortitudo did not survive.

While four of these remained at Hardwick Hall, a fifth featuring Cleopatra with Justicia and Fortitudo did not survive.

Germany is the EU's largest exporter to the US, leaving the country's businesses extremely agitated about any trade obstacles.Merz, a 69-year-old reputed millionaire with a corporate background, may feel confident about going toe-to-toe with Trump, who often hails himself as the consummate "dealmaker".

Whether the Chancellor will be able to smooth the path for EU negotiators, however, remains to be seen.Constanze Stelzenmüller, an expert on German-US relations at the Brookings Institute, believes Merz's ability to push the negotiations along is limited, given that the EU as an institution has taken the lead on those talks."Whatever Merz says is mood music, rather than being able to say that XYZ will happen, even if major nation states aren't without influence on the European Commission," she explained. "He has to tread a delicate line."

When it comes to Ukraine, Merz is vocal in his support of Kyiv and in his criticism of Moscow - recently warning that the fighting could drag on, despite repeated talk of a ceasefire from the White House.Justin Logan, director of defence and foreign policy studies at the Washington DC-based Cato Institute, told the BBC he believes Ukraine will present a "dilemma" for the German side in the meeting.

"They'll make a real effort to sell what frankly are the same arguments that have so far failed to persuade the White House," he said.

Merz also has called for stiffer EU sanctions on Vladimir Putin and Russia - something Trump has so far not committed to, even as some lawmakers from within his own party have escalated calls to do so.preventing it from leaving the country - providing a UK gallery the chance to acquire it.

The Art Fund charity has offered £750,000 towards the cost, however a further £2.9m is required before a 27 August deadline.If the target was not met, the sculpture by the Wakefield-born artist would go to a private buyer and be taken overseas.

The appeal is backed by artists and creatives including Sir Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Jonathan Anderson, Richard Deacon, Katy Hessel, Veronica Ryan, Joanna Scanlan and Dame Rachel Whiteread.The piece is one of only a handful of wooden carvings made by the artist during the 1940s, when she lived in St Ives, Cornwall, with her young family.