German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the White House on March 3, 2026, and held a roughly 35-minute Oval Office meeting with US President Donald Trump. The appearance was dominated by Trump, who spoke for about 30 minutes; Merz spoke for roughly three minutes but used his time to press several priorities: the war with Iran, trade and tariffs, and the conflict in Ukraine.
Iran
Both leaders presented a united front against Iran’s government. Merz called for coordinated planning among Europe, the US and Israel for “the day after” the conflict and urged a rapid end to the fighting, warning that higher oil and gas prices were harming European economies. He also stressed that Ukraine must retain its territory and security interests.
Trump said the early US‑Israeli strikes had largely “knocked out” Iran’s military capabilities and predicted that Iranian rocket attacks would not last much longer. He praised some European support, singling out Germany, while criticizing others such as Spain and the UK for being “uncooperative.” Responding to questions from DW’s chief political editor, Trump said some European nations had been supportive and others had not. Merz later wrote on X that “this terrible regime in Tehran must go,” and reiterated the need to plan for the aftermath and to address Ukraine.
Ukraine
Merz explicitly raised Ukraine, saying Europeans wanted an end to wars but that any settlement must preserve Ukraine’s territory and security. Trump said Ukraine remained “very high” on his priorities and expressed surprise at how difficult reaching a solution had been, repeating past claims about pursuing war settlements in a second term.
Tariffs and trade
Trade and tariffs were a major focus. Trump defended tariffs as having enriched the US, joked about hitting Germany “very, very hard” with tariffs, and playfully slapped Merz’s leg during the meeting. After a US Supreme Court ruling that struck down his earlier tariff actions, Trump announced a new flat 15% tariff on all trading partners. He said he would cut trade with Spain, accusing it of opposing the strikes on Iran, and told reporters he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with Spain.
Merz pressed for progress in trade talks but did not secure a clear improvement on tariff policy during the visit. Trump nonetheless praised Merz as “doing a very good job” and called him a “friend.”
Domestic and European reactions
Back in Germany, opposition and coalition figures 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 international law appeared not to be followed. Greens parliamentary leader Britta Hasselmann demanded clarity on strategy and the future for people in the Middle East, saying Europeans must defend a rules‑based international order.
Merz’s Washington meetings
Before the Oval Office appearance, Merz met business leaders 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. Merz thanked Trump for the visit, noting it was his third trip to the White House, and said they were “on the same page” about removing the Tehran regime while acknowledging the need to plan for the aftermath.
Context and next steps
Merz had previously visited Trump at the White House in June of the prior year. Many bilateral issues — trade, Ukraine, US‑European ties — remain unresolved, and the war with Iran has reshaped the agenda. The US‑EU trade agreement’s ratification is paused amid tariff uncertainty after the Supreme Court ruling and Trump’s new tariff declaration. After the meetings Merz was scheduled to return to Germany; the talks highlighted tensions among allied capitals over military strategy, trade policy and European security.