Overview

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held his first in-person summit with President Trump on June 5 in the Oval Office and concluded their discussions with a friendly joint press appearance.
• The administration this week doubled duties on European steel and aluminum and has signaled plans for 50% tariffs on all EU products in the coming weeks.
• Merz urged Trump to strengthen sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, but the president declined to commit to any new penalties.
• The meeting served as a test of Merz’s diplomatic skill after the public clashes endured by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office.
• To underscore their personal connection, Merz presented Trump a framed birth certificate of his grandfather, German immigrant Frederick Trump.