Merz meets Trump: Focus on bridge builders between the USA and Europe!

Merz meets Trump: Focus on bridge builders between the USA and Europe!

Washington, USA - Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) traveled to Washington on Wednesday evening to meet US President Donald Trump in the White House on Thursday, June 5. After a dinner with the Prime Minister of the States in Berlin, Merz flown to the Air Force's readiness for flights from the Air Force. According to Deutschlandfunk , Merz looks forward to the upcoming meeting "with great serenity".

The planned meeting has been the first personal conversation between Merz and Trump since Merz ’took office on May 6th. The two heads of state have already made calls several times in the past few weeks and have exchanged more by SMS. These preliminary discussions could create the basis for a relaxed atmosphere in the Oval Office, in which the conflict issues between the EU and the USA are discussed.

topics of the meeting

A central theme of the conversation will be the Ukraine War. Merz has announced that he wanted to increase the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote a ceasefire in Ukraine. In this context, another EU sanction package against Russia is also being prepared. Trump recently stated that in the next two weeks it would show whether Putin will take the negotiations seriously. This represents a decisive aspect in the efforts of peace in the region.

Another important topic will be the ongoing tensions in the customs dispute between the USA and the EU. According to Sauerlandkurier , not intervene in the details of the customs negotiations between the EU Commission and the United States, but has the option of building trust. Trump had previously threatened to raise tariffs of up to 50 percent, but they have now had a period until July 9th.

transatlantic relationships

Federal Foreign Minister WadePhul emphasized the need to work on good relationships with the United States despite existing irritation. He described Germany as a "bridge builder in the transatlantic relationship". Merz will want to further strengthen this role during his visit.

In addition, Merz expressed angrily about the attacks by US Vice President JD Vance about European allies and the criticism of the AfD classification by the constitutional protection. This could also be a topic in the discussions, since the transatlantic relationships are under different tensions.

The entire visit is expected to take around 17 hours and, in addition to the conversation, also include lunch together and a press. Merz 'strategy will be crucial to consolidate and improve the German-American relationships in a time of geopolitical challenges.