Overview

• Merz departs Berlin on Wednesday evening for his first face-to-face meeting with Trump at the White House on June 5, where he will stay at Blair House and join a working lunch followed by a joint press event.
• Ukraine ceasefire efforts top the agenda as Merz plans to urge Trump to increase pressure on President Putin and coordinate a new sanctions package with the United States.
• The chancellor will press for firm NATO defense commitments after Trump’s call for members to spend 5 percent of GDP, endorsing a compromise to divide allocations between military and infrastructure needs.
• Transatlantic trade tensions are set to feature prominently, with Merz seeking to defuse threats of U.S. tariffs on EU goods ahead of a July 9 deadline.
• Merz has prepared intensively for the visit, drawing on advice from leaders such as Selenskyj and Macron after establishing a personal rapport with Trump through multiple calls and SMS exchanges.