US President Donald Trump will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Thursday in their first face-to-face meeting since the German leader took office on May 6.
The parties are expected to discuss the Ukrainian conflict, the situation in the Middle East, tariff policy, and bilateral relations. The talks will be held in a small group, followed by a working lunch and a press conference. The chancellor will arrive in Washington on Wednesday evening after dinner with the heads of the federal states and will stay at the official residence Blair House — a gesture seen in Berlin as a sign of respect from the US.
According to the Guardian and Euronews, Trump and Merz have spoken on the phone at least four times in recent weeks, including three times in the presence of other European leaders, discussing ways to end the fighting in Ukraine. An informal relationship has developed between them: they have already moved on to communicating without official titles — “Donald” and “Friedrich” — which is unusual for German political culture and, as noted by the European media, indicates the positive tone of their communication.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere of the visit remains tense. The Trump administration has previously sharply criticized Germany for recognizing the Alternative for Germany party as “proven extremist.” Elon Musk, one of Trump’s closest allies, has previously openly supported the AfD. In response, Merz said that Germany did not interfere in the US election campaign and expects a similar position in return from Washington.
In addition, Germany hopes to ease tensions in the trade sector — Trump had previously threatened to impose a 50% tariff on imports from the EU, but the deadline for their entry has been postponed until July 9. According to Bloomberg, Merz intends to use the upcoming meeting for a “delicate diplomatic mission,” seeking to maintain an open dialogue with the US but not to compromise on fundamental positions.
Against the backdrop of the visit, the question of continued support for Ukraine remains relevant. Last week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that the first long-range systems manufactured in Ukraine with German financial participation could be delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the coming weeks. Earlier, Berlin signed an agreement with Kyiv on financing Ukrainian arms production and confirmed plans to supply new air defense systems and ammunition.
Analysts estimate that the future of transatlantic relations will largely depend on the outcome of the meeting at the White House. Germany does not rule out either a friendly atmosphere, following the example of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit, or a scenario of “public quarrel” — as happened during Trump’s February meeting with Vladimir Zelensky.
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