A Peaceful Path for Ukraine: Merz and Trump's First Phone Call Aims to Settle Trade Dispute Swiftly
Merz and Trump aim for prompt resolution of trade disagreement via initial telephone conversation
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Just a couple of days post his inauguration, German Chancellor Merz held a phone conversation with US President Trump. Trump reassured Merz of his support for European peace efforts regarding Ukraine and pledged to avoid a trade war.
The initial phone call between the newly minted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump was said to be amicable, with government sources describing it as a "remarkably pleasant, easy-going, and respectful conversation."
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The conversation took place on Thursday night, merely two days after the election and swearing-in ceremony of Merz in the Bundestag. Trump reportedly congratulated him. Merz reaffirmed to Trump that the US would continue to be a "vital friend and partner" as Germany marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Ukraine was the focal point of the 30-minute discussion. Both Merz and Trump agreed to collaborate closely to end the Russian invasion. The Chancellor echoed the President's demand for an immediate end to the violence in Ukraine and urged Russia to agree to a ceasefire to facilitate negotiations. Trump asserted to support German peace efforts "vigorously," working alongside France, Britain, Poland, and other European partners aimed at achieving enduring peace.
Trade Dispute on the Mend
The second major discussion point was the trade dispute between the US and the EU. Trump and Merz agreed to resolve the disagreements between the two entities promptly, according to the German side. However, a settlement is yet to materialize. Just before the conversation, the EU Commission declared intention to impose additional tariffs on US exports worth up to €95 billion (approximately $107 billion) should negotiations with Washington fail to yield a resolution.
Trade Disagreements Persist
By the end of July, a 90-day deadline set by Trump for EU offers would expire. In the absence of an agreement, Trump is poised to impose comprehensive new tariffs on EU imports. These would be in addition to the ones he has already imposed.
Merz has opposed the US government's criticism of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's classification of the AfD as "firmly right-wing extremist" and has advocated for the EU and US to eliminate all tariffs. He has also called for a significant expansion of the mutual recognition of technological standards.
Invitations Extended Across the Atlantic
Merz and Trump had little familiarity with each other prior to their encounter. Their only known interaction was a brief meeting in New York years ago. According to German government sources, Merz extended an invitation to Trump to visit Germany, highlighting German ancestry in the US Presidency and the hometown of Trump's forebears: Kallstadt along the Wine Route in Rhineland-Palatinate. Trump's grandparents had emigrated from there to New York at the turn of the 20th century.
Potential Visits Planned
Trump hinted that he might consider a trip to Germany. As President, he has only been to Germany beyond Ramstein Air Base stopovers for the 2017 G20 summit.
In turn, Merz has publicly expressed his desire to visit the US before the G7 and NATO summits in June, within the next six weeks. The G7 meeting is slated for mid-June in Canada, followed by the NATO summit in The Hague.
Sources:
ntv.de, ino/als/dpa/rts
Relevant People:
- Friedrich Merz
- Donald Trump
Key Issues:
- Attack on Ukraine
- Tariffs
Enrichment Data:The ongoing trade dispute between the US and the EU remains in a contentious state as of May 2025, with tariff measures escalating and negotiations not resulting in a resolution. The US has imposed various tariffs on EU goods, including 20% "reciprocal tariffs" and additional tariffs up to 25% on autos, steel, and aluminum early in 2025. The EU has responded by preparing retaliatory tariffs totaling €95-100 billion (approximately $107 billion) against a wide range of US imports, and has initiated formal dispute consultations at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Negotiations are ongoing but have not yielded a resolution, with US tariffs still in place and the EU intensifying countermeasures. There is no recent direct record of conversations or negotiations between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump regarding this dispute, with the primary dialogue taking place at the EU Commission and WTO levels rather than bilaterally. This situation signals a highly contentious trade relationship with considerable risks of escalation without a negotiated settlement, as the EU pursues diplomatic efforts, preparations for retaliation, and legal action to pressure the US to remove tariffs.
- The economic and monetary union of the European Union played a significant role in the conversation between German Chancellor Merz and US President Trump, with both leaders pledging to avoid a trade war and seek a prompt resolution to the ongoing dispute.
- Despite the peaceful overtures between Merz and Trump, the economic and monetary union of the European Union remains at odds with the US over tariffs, with the EU preparing retaliatory measures totaling €95-100 billion ($107 billion) against US imports.
- As the struggle for Ukrainian peace progresses, Chancellor Merz urged Russia to agree to a ceasefire and facilitate negotiations, with both he and President Trump expressing a willingness to collaborate closely to end the Russian invasion.
- In a bid to foster closer relations, German Chancellor Merz extended an invitation to President Trump to visit Germany, citing their shared ancestry and historical origins in Kallstadt along the Wine Route in Rhineland-Palatinate.
