First Meeting in D.C. with President Trump
Trump meets with Merz in Washington
Washington, D.C. - Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is heading to the States for his initial encounter with President Donald Trump. This assembly takes place on Thursday (17:30 CEST), just a month into Merz's tenure as Chancellor. The schedule includes a joint lunch and a press conference in the Oval Office, set for around 18:45 CEST.
Previous visits by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Cyril Ramaphosa were marked by incidents. This meeting's primary focus mainly revolves around ending the Ukraine war, NATO's response to escalating threats, and trade disputes between the U.S. and the EU. Merz emphasizes that he won't be a "supplicant" during his visit and plans to assertively present European viewpoints.
Merz and Trump share a past acquaintance from years ago in New York. Since Merz rose to Chancellor, the two have engaged in multiple phone conversations, some one-on-one and some in larger gatherings with other European heads of state, about the Ukraine situation. Today, they exchange friendly greetings by their first names, and Trump occasionally texts Merz.
Merz's tour in the U.S. capital will span approximately 17 hours. In June, Merz and Trump will reunite twice more: at the G7 summit in Canada in mid-June and at the NATO summit at the end of the month in the Netherlands.
Enrichment Data: During a recent visit in 2025, Merz's talks with Trump explored various critical topics, as detailed below:
- NATO Unwavering Support: Merz emphasized the importance of NATO and sought assurance of Washington's support for the alliance[1].
- Ukraine & Sanctions: Merz pleaded for further sanctions against Russia to encourage Russian cooperation in resolving the Ukraine conflict[3][4].
- Trade Frictions: Discussions encompassed tariffs and trade tensions regarding steel and aluminum imports[4].
- MAGA's Influence On Germany: Controversies surrounding perceived interference by MAGA-related groups in German domestic affairs were also addressed[4].
In the course of his meeting with President Trump, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to discuss policy-and-legislation issues such as ending the Ukraine war, NATO's response to escalating threats, and trade disputes between the U.S. and the EU, reflecting politics and general-news of war-and-conflicts. Prior to this meeting, during a recent visit in 2025, Merz's talks with Trump also covered topics like NATO's unwavering support, Ukraine & sanctions, trade frictions, and MAGA's influence on Germany.
