German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met US President Donald Trump at the White House on March 3, 2026, in talks dominated by the US leader and focused on the war in Iran, tariffs and the conflict in Ukraine.
The Oval Office joint appearance lasted about 35 minutes, but Trump took most of the floor, speaking for roughly 30 minutes while Merz spoke for only about three minutes. Despite the imbalance, Merz used his limited time to press key points on his agenda.
War with Iran
Both leaders presented a united front against Iran’s government. Merz said Europe, the US and Israel must strategize on the region and plan for “the day after,” while urging that the conflict end quickly because rising oil and gas prices were damaging European economies. He also stressed that Ukraine must preserve its territory and security interests.
Trump claimed the early days of the US-Israeli strikes had largely “knocked out” Iran’s military capabilities and predicted Iranian rocket attacks would not last much longer. He said some European countries had been helpful in the conflict, singling out Germany, while criticizing others such as Spain and the UK for being “uncooperative.”
On questions from DW’s chief political editor, Trump said some European nations had supported US actions but others had not. Merz later wrote on X that “this terrible regime in Tehran must go” and reiterated the need to discuss the aftermath and Ukraine.
Ukraine
Merz explicitly raised Ukraine, telling Trump that Europeans wanted an end to wars but that Ukraine must retain its territory and security. Trump said Ukraine was “very high” on his priorities and expressed surprise at how hard reaching a solution had been, repeating claims he has previously made about settling wars in his second term.
Tariffs and trade
Tariffs were another major focus. Trump defended tariffs as having made the US “very rich” and joked about hitting Germany “very, very hard” with tariffs before playfully slapping Merz’s leg. Following a US Supreme Court decision that struck down his earlier tariff actions, Trump announced a new flat 15% tariff on all trading partners and said he would cut trade with Spain, accusing it of opposing the attacks on Iran. He told reporters he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with Spain.
Merz pressed on trade talks with the US but did not secure a clear improvement on tariffs during the visit. Nevertheless, Trump praised Merz as “doing a very good job” and called him a “friend.”
Domestic and European reactions
In Germany, opposition and coalition partners urged Merz to press Trump on the legality and strategy of the US-Israeli strikes. SPD general secretary Matthias Miersch said the meeting was an opportunity to ask about US strategy and warned that international law appeared not to be being followed. Greens parliamentary leader Britta Hasselmann demanded clarity on the strategy and the future for people in the Middle East, arguing Europeans must defend a rules-based international order.
Merz’s Washington activities
Ahead of the Oval Office meeting, Merz held talks with business leaders in Washington at a working breakfast attended by representatives from BMW, T‑Mobile, Boehringer Ingelheim, Honeywell, Boston Consulting Group and Lockheed Martin. Germany has ordered 35 F‑35 fighters from Lockheed Martin. The chancellor thanked Trump for the visit, noting it was his third trip to the White House, and said he and Trump were “on the same page” about getting rid of the Tehran regime while acknowledging the need to discuss the aftermath.
Context and background
Merz previously visited Trump at the White House in June of the prior year; many of the bilateral issues—trade, Ukraine, US-European relations—remain on the agenda, but the war with Iran has dramatically reshaped the talks. Since Merz’s last visit, the US-EU trade agreement’s ratification has been paused amid uncertainty over US tariff policy after the Supreme Court ruling and Trump’s new tariff declaration. The long-running war in Ukraine also remains unresolved, with Trump pursuing ceasefire and peace approaches that have at times alarmed European partners.
Closing
After the Oval Office appearance and related meetings, Merz was set to fly back to Germany. The press appearance underscored the current tensions between allied capitals over military strategy, trade policy and the future of European security.