Before Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) was received by President Donald Trump at the White House, the German government is hoping for a clear U.S. stance on trade policy, the Ukraine conflict and the NATO Article 5 “assistance clause”.
“The German government wants the United States to guarantee security for trade and investment and to provide a permanent, reliable backing for Ukraine. A renewed, unequivocal commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty – that is, the assistance clause – would be very welcome” said the federal government’s transatlantic coordinator, Metin Hakverdi (SPD), to the “Tagesspiegel” (Tuesday edition). “If the chancellor can get all of that, his visit would be a huge success”.
Hakverdi added that, besides the current focus on Iran, the chancellor will likely address the security situation in Europe, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine. “It is also important that the chancellor and the president discuss trade and reciprocal investment security” he said. Trump has repeatedly linked “security and trade” during his almost‑one‑year term, and Germany remains “at the forefront of the U.S. agenda”. Hakverdi, who visited several U.S. states in late February, noted that the United States expects and wants German leadership. “Germany is the largest economic power and will guide Europe’s security future” he said. “All political actors in the United States – the White House, Republicans and Democrats in Congress – want Germany to play that role”.
Hakverdi does not expect Trump, coming from Berlin, to demand a stronger U.S. commitment to the Middle East. “Germany plays a different role in the Middle East. We are not militarily involved in the current conflict” he said. The stalled EU‑U.S. tariff agreement is “not dead” Hakverdi added. “Reconciliation is possible on both sides of the Atlantic. Now the issue is less about tariffs and more about the principle: Are the agreements that have been reached being respected? Trump sowed doubt in the Greenland case by suddenly threatening additional tariffs on EU states”. The EU therefore wants no sudden reversals but reliability.