Overview

• Merz will travel to Washington next week for his first one-on-one meeting with President Trump at the White House.
• Officials say discussions will include the war in Ukraine, Middle East security and US-EU trade policy.
• The chancellor plans to arrive a day early and follow official talks with a White House lunch and a joint press conference.
• He has criticized US officials after Secretary of State Rubio and Vice President Vance attacked Berlin over Germany’s intelligence agency labeling the AfD a “proven right-wing extremist organization.”
• Ongoing US tariffs on German goods are expected to influence discussions on transatlantic trade relations.