MediaPemalang.com – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the White House for the first time, facing a tough diplomatic challenge from President Donald Trump who threatened 50 percent tariffs on the European Union and urged Germany to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.
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Tariffs Become Top Issue
Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on imported cars and 50 percent on steel and aluminum from Europe. The president also threatened 50 percent tariffs on all European Union imports if a trade deal is not reached before July 9, 2025.
Germany, as the largest exporter to the US with a value of 160 billion US dollars per year, was most affected. Germany’s economy has shrunk over the past two years.
Ukraine and Pressure on Russia
Merz urged Trump to use his influence to put more pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. “I told the president that he is the key person in the world who can do that,” Merz added.
However, Trump remains reluctant to impose new sanctions on Moscow. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump kept the new sanctions as “a tool in his toolbox.”
Gifts that Break the Mood
Merz brought a unique gift: a copy of the birth certificate of Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich Trump, who emigrated from Kallstadt, Germany. “We understand each other on a personal level,” Merz said after the meeting.
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