Merz and Trump Square Off in Washington on Thursday
Trump engages in a meeting with German Chancellor Merkel in Washington D.C. on a Thursday - U.S. President Trump and Merz hold a meeting in Washington on Thursday
Get ready for a face-off between Merz and the notorious Donald Trump in the bustling city of Washington this Thursday. Friedrich Merz, Germany’s Chancellor, is set to grace the US President's digs - the Blair House, just a stone's throw away from the White House.
This will be the first one-on-one encounter between Merz and Trump, with their previous interactions limited to phone calls since Merz assumed his position. Last week, Merz’s Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul (CDU), paid a visit to Washington and locking horns with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio.
Trump, in his campaign, promised to swiftly end the raging Ukraine conflict that erupted in February 2022. Lately, diplomatic efforts to nip this war in the bud have been intensifying. The first direct meeting between Russian and Ukrainian reps in three years, held in Istanbul last month, sadly yielded no progress towards a ceasefire.
Merz, who recently paid a visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has repeatedly stressed the need for Europeans and the US to work hand-in-hand in resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Another hot topic on the transatlantic agenda is the hardline trade policies that Trump has been pursuing since the start of his second term in January. Last week, Trump threatened to slap a whopping 50% general tariff on EU goods. But, lucky for us, he later pushed back those tariffs. On Friday, the US President announced a doubling of import tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 50%, effective next Wednesday.
Transatlantic Coordinator Metin Hakverdi hopes that the tête-à-tête between Merz and Trump will result in a solid connection between the two leaders. "It’d be splendid if the Chancellor and the US President could forge a strong personal bond at this initial meeting," Hakverdi told the “Tagesspiegel” (Sunday edition).
However, Hakverdi cautions that we shouldn't set our expectations too high for this encounter at the White House. "Trump’s unpredictability makes that a no-go." Hakverdi believes that Merz might manage to sway Trump into joining forces for a joint peace initiative for the Ukraine.
Background:
The Ukraine conflict, Middle East situation, and trade policy are likely to dominate discussions between Merz and Trump. The differing stances on Ukraine and trade can make for challenging negotiations as both sides seek an amicable resolution to these issues.
- Donald Trump
- Friedrich Merz
- Washington
- CDU
- Ukraine
- Metin Hakverdi
- Stefan Kornelius
- Federal Government
- Johann Wadephul
- Marco Rubio
- Campaign
- The upcoming meeting between Friedrich Merz and Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., is expected to focus on the current situations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and trade policy, with hopes for a joint peace initiative on Ukraine.
- The differing stances on Ukraine and trade can make for challenging negotiations, but there is still optimism that a strong personal bond could emerge from this initial encounter.
- The possibility of Merz swaying President Trump to collaborate on a peaceful resolution for Ukraine remains a focal point of speculation ahead of their meeting, given the unpredictability of the current American leader.
