President Donald Trump gestures towards the press as he greets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz upon arrival on the West Wing of the White Home in Washington, DC, on June 5, 2025.
Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Photographs
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump was dramatically overshadowed by the U.S. chief’s spat with Elon Musk. However it was nonetheless seen as a win for Merz.
“Being sidelined shouldn’t be essentially at all times a nasty factor,” Carsten Brzeski, world head of macro at ING, informed CNBC on Friday. “The truth is, it may need even helped Merz because the Musk distraction was additionally deviating consideration away from extra controversial subjects.”
It was a high-stakes journey for Merz, who’s just some weeks into his chancellorship, particularly given the remedy different leaders have gotten from Trump within the Oval Workplace in current months.
As such, Merz is unlikely to be disillusioned in regards to the consequence — particularly given the potential downsides.
“Having prevented an escalation within the Oval Workplace is already an achievement nowadays,” Brzeski added.
A full agenda
Merz arrived in Washington with a full agenda that ranged from strengthening relations between the U.S. and Germany, to tariffs — which might considerably impression key German industries — in addition to U.S. assist for Ukraine in its warfare with Russia and better NATO protection spending.
Whereas we do not know what was mentioned behind closed doorways, Merz was seemingly capable of tackle most of those factors with Trump, political strategist Julius van de Laar informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe” on Friday.
“I feel what Friedrich Merz received throughout is that he hopes that the U.S. president will proceed to assist Ukraine,” he stated, noting that the problem had gathered momentum not too long ago given a number of important assaults. Merz was capable of decide up on this, and draw hyperlinks to the anniversary of D-Day a day after their assembly.
“And he stated america performed a fantastic function in … releasing Europe from the Nazi regime again then, and so he is hoping that Donald Trump will … say we will get engaged once more and assist Europe grow to be freed from dictatorship,” van de Laar stated.
Merz making this level was essential within the context of highlighting the U.S.-German relationship, in accordance with Jackson Janes, senior resident fellow on the German Marshall Fund. Chatting with CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe,” he additionally identified that Trump was gifted his grandfather’s beginning certificates by Merz, “making the purpose ‘you might have a relationship with Germany in your individual household.'”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presents US President Donald Trump with what Merz stated was the beginning certificates of Trump’s grandfather, who was born in 1869, throughout a bilateral assembly within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, DC, on June 5, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Photographs
Janes additionally famous that Merz highlighting Germany’s plans for larger protection spending would have marked a constructive be aware within the dialogue.
Germany not too long ago modified its fiscal guidelines to permit for larger protection spending, and Merz’s authorities appears to be making it a precedence. The chancellor has promised a monetary push to spice up the German army, and the nation’s overseas minister has recommended assist for Trump’s proposal that NATO members spend 5% of their gross home product on protection.
In the meantime, the delicate subject of Germany’s far-right celebration, the Various fuer Deutschland, was seemingly prevented. Officers within the Trump administration have in current weeks come out in assist of the celebration after German intelligence providers labeled it as a “confirmed right-wing extremist group.”
This led to clapbacks from German politicians, with Merz himself warning the U.S. to not get entangled. The classification of the AfD is presently on maintain amid a authorized problem.
‘A house run’ for Merz
All in all, Merz’s go to to D.C. was seen as “a house run or a gap in a single,” van de Laar stated.
ING’s Brzeski additionally recommended that the journey laid good foundations between the leaders. “There appears to be some widespread grounds between Trump and Merz, which may very well be the seeds for a extra constructive relationship,” he stated.
Merz even appeared to get some compliments from Trump, with the president commending him for his English abilities and saying that whereas “troublesome,” the German chief was a “superb man to cope with.”
Following the assembly, Merz appeared happy, saying in a social media submit that the ambiance was “actually good,” and that the 2 have a lot in widespread. “I’m coming again with the sensation that we will converse on the telephone any time,” he stated, in accordance with a CNBC translation.
However even an in-person reunion may not be too far off: a Trump journey to Berlin is already being deliberate, Merz informed German media.
