When President Trump has his first meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on Friday, it will be a big clash of policy, temperament, and governing styles. Merkel, Europe's longest-serving and most powerful leader, is unassuming, seasoned, diplomatic, and an astute observer; Trump is brash, new to the job and public policy, and inclined to make shows of strength. Expectations for the meeting are not high.
The main topics of discussion are expected to be trade and the economy. Trump will urge Germany to spend more on its national defense, to meet NATO obligations, and ask about Merkel's long experience dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, White House officials say. Merkel will gauge Trump's openness on multilateral issues like climate change and financial regulation, according to German officials, and gently press Trump to reconsider his proposal to tax U.S. imports — a potential blow to Germany, which had a $50 billion trade surplus with the U.S. last year.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidaysThe Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
-
The Week contest: Werewolf billPuzzles and Quizzes
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom banSpeed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid warSpeed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freezeSpeed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bansSpeed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler groupSpeed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emergeSpeed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in RussiaSpeed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majoritySpeed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
