Overview

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is holding his first in-person meeting with President Trump at the White House to address strained bilateral ties.
• The US has doubled import tariffs on German steel and aluminum to 50 percent, escalating a transatlantic trade conflict.
• Germany has pledged to increase defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP alongside 1.5 percent for infrastructure to meet NATO goals.
• Merz plans to press Trump for continued support for Ukraine with Russia’s invasion ongoing, asserting his readiness to rebut any critique of Germany’s free-speech record.
• The White House advanced Merz’s press session to precede his private Oval Office lunch, limiting his chance for confidential negotiations.