German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to meet with President Trump on Thursday to discuss critical geopolitical issues, including the war in Europe, the Middle East, and significant trade disputes.

Previously, relations between Merz and the Trump administration, both during his initial term and after his re-election, have been strained, with both sides publicly expressing dissatisfaction.

However, recent communications between Merz and Trump suggest a more amicable meeting on Thursday. Berlin aims to make progress on lifting Trump’s 25% tariff on imported vehicles and parts, as well as the existing 10% tariff on all goods, which was temporarily reduced from 20% earlier this year.

Merz’s trip to D.C. this week is his first since last month and comes as European nations have increasingly united in response to Trump’s geopolitical stances on trade and defense since he re-entered the White House.

Countries like France and the U.K. have successfully managed to maintain a relationship with Washington under Trump’s presidency while also significantly expanding their own relations to lessen future dependence on the U.S.

Germany’s Merz is also expected to strive for this balance, a strategy he mentioned he had already begun implementing during a recent interview with German media.

“It’s always important not to talk for too long, but to speak briefly and allow him to speak as well,” Merz told German outlet WDR. “You have to adapt to him and engage with him, while also maintaining our own stature.

“My primary requirement is that we can have a sensible conversation with him: we are not supplicants,” he added.

Despite efforts to improve relations with Trump from afar, Oval Office meetings with the president can be unpredictable, as demonstrated by incidents during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s February visit, and the president’s accusation last month that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government was committing “genocide,” claims unsubstantiated by any party in South Africa, including the party representing Afrikaners.

One area where Merz could gain favor with Trump is regarding defense spending and the president’s push for nations to not only meet the 2% threshold but to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, a level the U.S. has not yet reached.

While Germany does spend more than 2% of its GDP on defense, Merz could leverage his commitment to the call to spend up to 5% to encourage Trump to increase his support for Kyiv and advocate for greater European involvement in future peace talks.

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