Latest news with #German-U.S.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany's Friedrich Merz to meet with Donald Trump in Oval Office
June 5 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be in Washington Thursday to meet with President Donald Trump in person for the first time. Merz said that he was looking forward to his first face-to-face meeting with Trump after the two have previously spoken over the phone "Our alliance with America was, is, and remains of paramount importance for the security, freedom, and prosperity of Europe. The United States is an indispensable friend and partner of Germany," Merz posted to X Wednesday. The topics of discussion are expected to range from tariffs and trade to Russia's war on Ukraine and the state of the Middle East. Trump and Merz reportedly speak with each other on a first-name basis, however, in a speech given Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the current tone of German-U.S. relations as being "as rough as it has not been in a long time." Trump has also levied tariffs on all member nations of the European Union, Germany included, that will impose a 50% duty on all European goods starting July 9, a deadline that was extended from June 1 to allow more time for trade negotiations. The Trump administration has also upped tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports from 25% to 50%, with only Britain excluded. Germany announced last week it will provide a nearly $5.7 billion military aid package to Ukraine that will finance long-range weapons to be produced by Ukraine, which Merz announced can be deployed by the Ukrainian military for use inside the borders of Russia. Trump, however, had ordered a pause on military aid to Ukraine in March shortly after his combative February meeting with Zelensky. It is unclear if Trump has any issue with Germany's aid for or relationship with Ukraine.
UPI
5 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Germany's Friedrich Merz to meet with Donald Trump in Oval Office
Friedrich Merz, the current German Chancellor, at the German parliament 'Bundestag' in Berlin, Germany in January 2025. File Photo: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN June 5 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be in Washington Thursday to meet with President Donald Trump in person for the first time. Merz said that he was looking forward to his first face-to-face meeting with Trump after the two have previously spoken over the phone "Our alliance with America was, is, and remains of paramount importance for the security, freedom, and prosperity of Europe. The United States is an indispensable friend and partner of Germany," Merz posted to X Wednesday. The topics of discussion are expected to range from tariffs and trade to Russia's war on Ukraine and the state of the Middle East. Trump and Merz reportedly speak with each other on a first-name basis, however, in a speech given Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the current tone of German-U.S. relations as being "as rough as it has not been in a long time." Trump has also levied tariffs on all member nations of the European Union, Germany included, that will impose a 50% duty on all European goods starting July 9, a deadline that was extended from June 1 to allow more time for trade negotiations. The Trump administration has also upped tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports from 25% to 50%, with only Britain excluded. Germany announced last week it will provide a nearly $5.7 billion military aid package to Ukraine that will finance long-range weapons to be produced by Ukraine, which Merz announced can be deployed by the Ukrainian military for use inside the borders of Russia. Trump, however, had ordered a pause on military aid to Ukraine in March shortly after his combative February meeting with Zelensky. It is unclear if Trump has any issue with Germany's aid for or relationship with Ukraine.
CNBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
What Germany's Merz wants to tackle in Trump meeting
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, with much to discuss at a time of trade disputes and ongoing war in Europe. During both of his presidential terms, Trump has triggered tensions between long-standing allies U.S. and the European Union. "The tone is as rough as it has not been in a long time," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in a speech on German-U.S. relations earlier this week. White House officials have not always found friendly words for Berlin in recent months, and vice versa. But there have been some signs of rapprochement, with the country's leaders now reportedly being on a first name basis after several phone calls. Building on this will be a top priority for Merz in D.C. "Top of the agenda for the German Chancellor will be to strike the right chord with Trump," Jörn Fleck, senior director of the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council, told CNBC. Merz's conservative views on immigration, his links to U.S. businesses — the chancellor is a former BlackRock executive — "and a profile as an old-school outsider who was underestimated but won an election by pledging to restore his country's economy and security," could work in his favor, Fleck explained. Export-reliant Germany counts the U.S. as its biggest trading partner, leaving it vulnerable in the face of Trump's trade agenda. Penny Naas, who leads on the German Marshall Fund's allied strategic competitiveness work, told CNBC that this is especially true for sector-specific tariffs, for example targeting autos and steel. They "hit industries at the core of the German economy," she said. "Merz will want to see if there is any room for negotiation on these tariffs," such as the U.S. and EU cutting all industrial duties to zero, Naas added. Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs, which have also been imposed on the European Union, are also set to be on Merz's agenda, Franziska Palmas, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics, told CNBC. "He is likely to stress his support for free trade and a EU-US trade deal. He may point to the EU's proposal of a zero-for-zero tariff deal as an ideal outcome," she said. Negotiations between the EU and U.S. have so far been tough, but European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday signaled talks were "advancing in the right direction." The Russia-Ukraine war will also almost certainly be discussed, especially after Trump's Wednesday phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European leaders have pushed Trump to apply pressure on Putin, and Merz is expected to follow suit, the Atlantic Council's Fleck said. Palmas meanwhile said Merz would likely "reiterate Germany's strong support for Ukraine and the need for European countries to be involved in peace negotiations." U.S. support for Kyiv has been uncertain, along with Trump's focus on expediting peace-making between Russia and Ukraine — raising concerns in Europe. Topics like U.S. support for European troops on the ground, enforcing sanctions and sharing information may therefore come up, Fleck added. Another critical topic will be the NATO military alliance in which both Germany and the U.S. participate and specifically members' defense contributions. Trump has long been pushing for these expenditures to rise to 5% of each country's gross domestic product, meeting some resistance. Fleck noted that "Merz will want to make sure Germany is no longer seen as a laggard on defense spending and capabilities." Given Germany's recent fiscal reforms that allow for higher defense costs and its support for Trump's 5% NATO spending target, the German chancellor should have "a positive story to tell" on this front. Capital Economics' Palmas added that Merz may even use the occasion to announce a specific defense spending target.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Merz, Trump agree on need to resolve trade disputes, Germany says
By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on the need to quickly resolve trade disputes in their first phone call since Merz took office earlier this week, a German government spokesperson said. Trump congratulated Merz on taking office, the spokesperson said, while Merz assured him that "80 years after the end of the Second World War, the United States remains an indispensable friend and partner of Germany." The two leaders also agreed on the need to closely cooperate with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine, the spokesperson said. Merz has adopted a markedly critical tone of the Trump administration since his conservatives won the federal election in February. On the night of the election he warned that Europe needed to become independent of the United States given the Trump administration's apparent indifference to its fate. The transatlanticist, who for 10 years led an association aimed at promoting German-U.S. understanding, also criticised the "ultimately outrageous" comments flowing from Washington during the campaign, comparing them to hostile interventions from Russia. He urged the administration earlier this week to stay out of domestic German politics after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the German domestic intelligence agency's decision to brand far-right party the Alternative for Germany "extremist". Merz has also been critical of Trump's widespread imposition of tariffs that are particularly damaging to Germany's export-oriented economy, calling instead for the complete abolition of tariffs between the European Union and the United States. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier accused the United States on Thursday of a "betrayal of values." "It is nothing less than a double epochal rupture — Russia's war of aggression, and America's betrayal of values — it marks the end of the long 20th century," he said in a speech to parliament. Russia, he argued, is endangering the peaceful order that was built after the end of World War II and the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. "But the fact that it is now of all countries the United States — which played a decisive role in shaping that order — that is turning away from it, is a shock of an entirely new magnitude," he added.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Merz, Trump agree on need to resolve trade disputes, Germany says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reacts as he opens a multilateral youth camp \"Youth4Peace\" in Berlin, Germany, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen Merz, Trump agree on need to resolve trade disputes, Germany says BERLIN - Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on the need to quickly resolve trade disputes in their first phone call since Merz took office earlier this week, a German government spokesperson said. Trump congratulated Merz on taking office, the spokesperson said, while Merz assured him that "80 years after the end of the Second World War, the United States remains an indispensable friend and partner of Germany." The two leaders also agreed on the need to closely cooperate with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine, the spokesperson said. Merz has adopted a markedly critical tone of the Trump administration since his conservatives won the federal election in February. On the night of the election he warned that Europe needed to become independent of the United States given the Trump administration's apparent indifference to its fate. The transatlanticist, who for 10 years led an association aimed at promoting German-U.S. understanding, also criticised the "ultimately outrageous" comments flowing from Washington during the campaign, comparing them to hostile interventions from Russia. He urged the administration earlier this week to stay out of domestic German politics after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the German domestic intelligence agency's decision to brand far-right party the Alternative for Germany "extremist". Merz has also been critical of Trump's widespread imposition of tariffs that are particularly damaging to Germany's export-oriented economy, calling instead for the complete abolition of tariffs between the European Union and the United States. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier accused the United States on Thursday of a "betrayal of values." "It is nothing less than a double epochal rupture — Russia's war of aggression, and America's betrayal of values — it marks the end of the long 20th century," he said in a speech to parliament. Russia, he argued, is endangering the peaceful order that was built after the end of World War II and the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. "But the fact that it is now of all countries the United States — which played a decisive role in shaping that order — that is turning away from it, is a shock of an entirely new magnitude," he added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
