German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington Next Week

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit Washington next week for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The German government announced that the meeting, scheduled for Thursday at the White House, will cover several critical topics, including the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and trade policy.

This will be the first in-person meeting between Merz and Trump since Merz assumed leadership of Germany on May 6. Merz’s office highlighted that the discussions will focus on bilateral relations and pressing international issues. Notably, Merz has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine and maintain Western support for the country. Just this week, he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin.

Additionally, Germany is keen on resolving trade tensions between the European Union and the United States. Trump had previously threatened to impose a 50% tariff on goods imported from the EU, though he has postponed the deadline to July 9.