Overview

• The first face-to-face Oval Office meeting between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump began cordially as both leaders traded pleasantries and noted their shared conservative and business backgrounds.
• Merz reaffirmed Germany’s pledge to boost defense spending to 3.5% of GDP plus 1.5% for security infrastructure, winning Trump’s approval in line with his broader push for NATO allies to increase contributions.
• Trump reiterated his readiness to impose or lift steep tariffs on European goods, underscoring persistent trade frictions that threaten Germany’s export-driven economy.
• On Ukraine, Merz urged sustained sanctions and a united Western strategy, while Trump expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin but warned that sanctions risked complicating ceasefire prospects.
• Well prepared for the encounter, Merz’s team sought guidance on managing Trump’s unpredictable style to advance transatlantic unity without expecting major breakthroughs.