German Chancellor Friedrich Merz returned from Washington on Friday expressing optimism about the state of U.S.-European relations and Washington’s continued commitment to NATO. His comments followed his first official meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House a day earlier.
Speaking in Berlin, Merz described the discussions in the Oval Office and during an extended lunch with Trump as both constructive and direct. He acknowledged differences, particularly regarding Ukraine, but noted that both leaders engaged respectfully.
“In the Oval Office, I clearly outlined a different stance on Ukraine than the one President Trump holds,” Merz said. “There was no pushback—just a serious, detailed conversation over lunch.”
Merz, who took office as Chancellor in May, managed to steer clear of the diplomatic missteps that previously strained Trump’s meetings with other world leaders such as Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa. Instead, his visit emphasized diplomacy and mutual respect.
During their meeting, Merz gave Trump a symbolic gift: a gold-framed birth certificate of Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich Trump, who emigrated from Kallstadt, Germany. Trump responded warmly, calling Merz “a very good man to deal with.”
Merz praised the U.S. administration for being open to dialogue and receptive to differing viewpoints. He emphasized the importance of engaging Trump directly rather than criticizing from a distance.
“Let’s stop talking about Donald Trump with a raised finger and wrinkled nose,” Merz said. “We need to speak with him, not just about him.”
He also met with U.S. senators on Capitol Hill, urging them to grasp the scale of Russia’s growing military power. “Look at what Russia is doing with its rearmament—some of you seem unaware,” he told them. “You can talk to the Americans, but don’t be intimidated. That’s not in my nature.”
Fluent in English, Merz underlined the importance of rebuilding trust between Europe and the U.S. and reminded Trump that strong alliances are crucial.
“Whether we like it or not, we will remain dependent on the United States for the foreseeable future,” Merz said. “But the U.S. also needs reliable partners, and Europe—especially Germany—is well suited for that role.”
He contrasted democratic partnerships with authoritarian rule: “Authoritarian regimes have subordinates. Democracies have partners—and that’s what we aim to be.”
Merz reiterated that he believes the United States remains fully committed to NATO, especially as European nations increase their defense spending. Trump, in the past, had raised the possibility of the U.S. pulling back from NATO commitments if allies failed to meet spending goals.
“I have no doubt that the U.S. government stands by NATO,” Merz said. “Now that we’re increasing our own contributions, including our ability to defend Europe, I think that was a fair expectation.”
“We’ve long relied on U.S. security guarantees without pulling our own weight,” he added. “That’s changing now.”
