Merz Meets Trump in 2025: A Tête-à-Tête over Sanctions, Ukraine, and Trade
Trump meets with Merz in Washington
Y'all better grab a front-row seat because the political drama's back in town! Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) touched down in Washington DC on a Thursday in June 2025, primed for a powwow with the one and only Donald Trump. Four weeks into office, Merz was set to face the famously fiery president for the first time.
After a four-week bootcamp in Berlin, Merz was ready to assert his European positions in the Oval Office. The agenda was stacked: sanctions against Russia, the Ukraine conflict, NATO's response to external threats, and dinner on Trump's infamous steaks. As a seasoned politician, Merz promised he wasn't heading to the States as a beggar, but as a battle-tested leader.
The history books might recall Merz and Trump's brief minor league encounter in New York City way back when, but phone conversations since Merz's election filled the gap for now. These calls were no quiet nights with queasy milk: Merz chatted with Trump both one-on-one and in large European leader circles, discussing the Ukraine conflict among other topics.
Get this—these two titans of power were on a first-name basis and exchanged SMS messages like your average Joes. With only 17 hours to spare in the nation's capital, Merz and Trump were due for two more meetings: first, at the G7 summit in June's middle stretch in Canada, and second, at NATO's summit in The Hague later in the month.
But what exactly did these heavyweight leaders hash out during their '25 meeting? Rumor has it Merz aimed to persuade Trump that Russia would only quit the conflict if Europe and the US piled on more sanctions. The iconic ol' Ukie crisis captured their attention, with Merz briefing Trump on European diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and maintain Western support for Kyiv.
The hottest topic may have been Trump's tariffs and trade tensions, especially the steel and aluminum tariffs that gave imports a new 50% tax. The trade game of chicken was far from over, but we'll have to wait for Merz to drop the curtain on that one.
As for NATO, Merz claimed Trump mellowed during their talks and expressed a commitment to keeping the alliance rolling. Booyah, folks—we ain't seen the last of this showdown just yet!
Fun fact: In 2021, Angela Merkel was still Germany's leader, not Friedrich Merz. But the nitty-gritty of that year's visits—or lack thereof—aren't particularly relevant to this political drama. So strap in, folks. The rollercoaster's about to take off!
Sources:1. German Chancellor Merz Gear Up for Trump Talks over Ukraine and Russia Sanctions2. Merz and Trump's Fiery Meeting: A Clash of Titans over Ukraine, Trade, and NATO3. Trump Lobbied Merkel before the G7 Summit: negotiations under the table4. Trump Opens Up to Merz on NATO—Is America Back in the Game?
- As they sat down in the Oval Office, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump discussed policy-and-legislation matters such as war-and-conflicts, particularly sanctions against Russia and the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
- The politics surrounding trade also dominated their discussions, with Merz urging Trump to reconsider his tariffs on steel and aluminum, hoping to reduce tensions in general-news pertaining to international trade and commerce.
