Berlin - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit the White House on Thursday to meet with President Trump, which is expected to resolve conflicts between Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as tariffs and trade.

Although they have spoken over the phone several times in recent weeks, this is Merz's first trip to Washington since becoming German Chancellor in May.

Germany is eager for trade tensions with the United States due to the EU's largest economy, as the July 9 deadline is imminent, which threatens a 50% tariff on the Trump administration for imports from the EU. The 27-country group said it is preparing for a "countermeasure".

President Trump has frequently criticized Germany, especially in terms of trade and defense. "In its logic, Europe has taken advantage of the security of the United States, and it is also because of its economic capabilities in the world," said political scientist Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook.

“Mels must prove that what he is seeking is a real partnership with this government, but that also does not represent the image of Germany, that is, a country that does not give back to the international community or transatlantic relations,” she said.

Clüver Ashbrook says it could be a challenge for Merz A 69-year-old former Conservative banker, who served as prime minister for only one month. The meeting visited by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa this year were verbally attacked by Trump in the Oval Office. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a cordial reception at the White House.

Clüver Ashbrook said: “Friedrich Merz rejected his emotions, but it was a high-stakes diplomatic drama for him.

Since he became prime minister on May 6, Merz has been trapped in diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and to maintain Western support for Kief. On Wednesday, he hosted Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Berlin.

Melz also released hundreds of billions of dollars in the national budget to build German troops, a past dispute between President Trump, who criticized the amount of money Germany and other NATO allies spent on defense, depending on the U.S. security umbrella, which includes several German military bases.