"The visit, Merz's second official one to the White House, has been planned for some time. However, the topics that were originally expected to dominate the discussions—the dispute between the US and the EU over tariffs and the Russian invasion of Ukraine—now seem likely to take a back seat to the conflict in the Middle East triggered by the US-Israel war with Iran."
"Merz has made it clear that he will not be raising concerns about the legitimacy of the US-Israeli actions under international law, despite any misgivings he might have on the issue. The German chancellor might, however, repeat his doubts to the US leader about whether the attacks on Iran will really bring about a democratic change in the Middle Eastern country."
"Merz is seen as one of the few European leaders who has the ear of Trump and is known to phone regularly with the US president."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is traveling to Washington for his second official White House visit to meet with President Trump. While the visit was previously planned to focus on US-EU tariff disputes and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US-Israel conflict with Iran has shifted the agenda's priorities. Merz will not challenge the legitimacy of US-Israeli actions under international law but may express skepticism about whether attacks on Iran will promote democratic change. Despite the Middle East focus, discussions on US tariffs, Russia policy, and Merz's recent China trip remain relevant. Merz plans to demonstrate his government's progress on reducing illegal immigration using visual aids, as Trump reportedly doubted his earlier claims. Merz is regarded as one of few European leaders with direct access to Trump.
#us-germany-relations #middle-east-conflict #trump-administration #international-diplomacy #immigration-policy
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