BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit the White House on Thursday for a meeting with President Trump that’s expected to tackle the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as tariffs and trade.
While they have spoken by phone several times in recent weeks, this is Merz’s first trip to Washington since becoming Germany’s chancellor in May.
President Trump has often criticized Germany especially over trade and defense.
Clüver Ashbrook says this could prove to be a challenge for Merz, a 69-year-old conservative former banker who has only been chancellor for a month.
Other European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had cordial receptions at the White House.
BERLIN — On Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet with President Trump at the White House, where they are expected to discuss trade and tariffs, as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
This is Merz’s first visit to Washington since taking over as Germany’s chancellor in May, despite the fact that they have spoken on the phone multiple times in recent weeks.
A deadline of July 9 for the Trump administration’s threatened 50% tariffs on EU imports has Germany, the EU’s largest economy, keen to defuse trade tensions with the United States. The bloc of 27 nations claims to be preparing “countermeasures” in retaliation.
Germany has been frequently criticized by President Trump, particularly in relation to trade and defense. “In his logic, Europe takes advantage of the United States, both in terms of its security umbrella, but also because of its economic prowess in the world,” says Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, a political scientist and executive vice president of the independent think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung founded in northern Germany.
“Merz must demonstrate that his goal is a genuinely cooperative relationship with this administration,” she says, adding that he will not tolerate the perception of Germany as a nation that does not contribute to the transatlantic relationship or the international community. “..”.
Merz, a 69-year-old conservative former banker who has only been chancellor for a month, may find this difficult, according to Clüver Ashbrook. The meeting comes after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House this year and were verbally attacked by Trump. Other European leaders received warm receptions at the White House, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Friedrich Merz is not known to suppress his emotions, but this is a high-stakes diplomatic maneuver for him,” says Clüver Ashbrook. “I hope his team has alerted him to the potentially confrontational aspects of this discussion.”. “.”.
Merz has thrown himself into diplomatic efforts to keep Western support for Kyiv and to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine since taking office as chancellor on May 6. He welcomed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Berlin on Wednesday.
In addition, Merz has freed up hundreds of billions of dollars in the national budget to strengthen Germany’s military, which has previously been a point of contention for President Trump, who has criticized the amount of money Germany and other NATO allies spend on defense while relying on the government. S. security umbrella, which covers a number of German military installations.
