Germany's Merz to 'adapt' to Trump during high-stakes meeting on tariffs, defense
Share this @internewscast.com

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Thursday to address significant global issues such as conflicts in Europe, tensions in the Middle East, and substantial trade disagreements.

Throughout Trump’s first term and his re-election, Germany and the Trump administration have often clashed, with both sides openly expressing discontent.

However, recent encouraging conversations between Merz and Trump indicate that the upcoming meeting will likely be amicable. Berlin aims to make progress on eliminating Trump’s 25% tariff on imported automobiles and parts, along with the current 10% tariff on all goods, which had been temporarily reduced from 20% earlier this year.

merz lands in the US

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives in Washington, D.C., June 5, 2025. (Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“It’s always important that you don’t talk for too long, but that you talk for a moment and let him talk too”, Merz told German outlet WDR. “You have to adapt to him and get involved with him – and at the same time you can’t make yourself smaller than we are. 

“That’s my most important requirement anyway, that we can talk to him sensibly: We’re not supplicants,” he added. 

But despite efforts to bolster relations with Trump from afar, Oval Office meetings with the president are anything but predictable, as witnessed by the explosive interaction during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s February visit, as well as when the president accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of committing “genocide” last month, though no party in South Africa, including the party that represents the Afrikaners, have substantiated these claims.

Zelenskyy UK France Germany Poland

European leaders, from left, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a telephone conversation with President Trump on May 16, 2025, at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. (KuglerSteffen/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)

One area where Merz could earn points with Trump is when it comes NATO defense spending and the president’s push for nations to not only increase spending on defense to the 2% threshold, but to spend 5% GDP on defense – a push the U.S. is not yet close to achieving. 

While Germany does spend more than 2% of its GDP on defense, Merz has backed the call to spend up to 5%, and he could use this to rally Trump to increase his support for Kyiv, and push for greater European involvement in future peace talks. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Senate’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ faces serious headwinds in the House

Senate’s Ambitious Bill Faces Significant Challenges in the House

The Senate’s iteration of the “big, beautiful bill” is encountering significant obstacles…
Hiker’s wilderness adventure ends in tragedy at popular park destination

Tragic Ending for Hiker’s Adventure at Well-Known Park

An Illinois man died after falling while hiking at a state park…
El Chapo’s Mexican drug cartel ‘hired hacker to infiltrate public CCTV cameras to track down and kill FBI informants’

Drug Cartel Allegedly Employed Hacker to Access Public CCTV and Eliminate Informants: FBI

EL CHAPO’S ruthless cartel used a hacker to break into Mexico City’s…
Jana Kramer, ‘One Tree Hill’ Alum, Says Financial Pressure Led to Career Choices She Regrets

Jana Kramer, Former ‘One Tree Hill’ Star, Admits Money Worries Influenced Her Regrettable Career Decisions

Jana Kramer is opening up about the realities of being a working…
Russia Ukraine | Russian drone strike on Odesa kills married couple, injures 17 people, Ukraine says

Russian Drone Strike on Odesa Results in Fatalities and Injuries, Reports Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine — Overnight, Russian drones targeted the southern Ukrainian port city…
ABC7 Chicago to celebrate 2025 Pride Parade with live broadcast Sunday; Tanja Babich, Hosea Sanders, Jason Knowles to host

ABC7 Chicago to Host Live Broadcast of 2025 Pride Parade This Sunday with Tanja Babich, Hosea Sanders, and Jason Knowles

CHICAGO (WLS) — ABC7 Chicago is set to air a live broadcast…
Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, charged with murder.

Boyfriend of Decapitated Model Remains Missing as 34-Year-Old Beauty & The Geek Star Faces Murder Charges

A FORMER Beauty and the Geek star has been charged with the…
A toddler in a blue shirt sits on someone's lap.

Two-Year-Old with One Kidney Battles for Survival After Being Stung 150 Times by Wasps in Toy Car Accident

A TODDLER missing a kidney is fighting for his life after being…
Gurnee Woodland Elementary School teacher Todd Fowler charged with disseminating child pornography, Lake County Sheriff says

Officials Report: Lake County Sheriff’s Operation in Gurnee, Illinois Leads to 27 Arrests in Human Trafficking Crackdown

In Lake County, Illinois, a significant operation spearheaded by the Lake County…
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 49 people as ceasefire talks inch closer

Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Claim at Least 49 Lives Amid Ceasefire Negotiations

The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump says there could be…
Israel-Iran latest: Week of shifting descriptions of US attack on Iran spark ongoing questions about extent of damage, goals

Recent Developments in Israel-Iran Tensions: A Week of Changing Reports on US Strike Raises Questions About Damage and Objectives

WASHINGTON — One week after President Donald Trump authorized an attack on…
Senate votes down resolution to block Trump's ability to use more military force against Iran without authorization from Congress

Senate Rejects Proposal to Restrict Trump’s Authority to Deploy Military Force Against Iran Without Congressional Approval

Attempts by Senate Democrats to curtail President Donald Trump’s actions regarding Iran…