German Chancellor Merz Reportedly Sought Advice from World Leaders Ahead of U.S. Visit on the 5th
American Journalist Suggests Golf Round with Trump
On the 5th (local time), reports emerged that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ahead of his visit to the United States, has been seeking advice from other world leaders to build rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump during their upcoming summit. According to Yonhap News, citing the German media outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on the 1st, "Chancellor Merz, who is preparing for a summit with President Trump, has sought advice from leaders of Ukraine, South Africa, Italy, Norway, and Finland, all of whom have previously met with President Trump."
Among them, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa have both experienced difficult situations caused by President Trump's unpredictable behavior. In February, President Trump and President Zelensky had a heated confrontation in the Oval Office while discussing an end to the war in Ukraine, raising their voices and gesturing at each other, which ultimately led to the cancellation of a scheduled minerals agreement signing ceremony.
Most recently, on the 21st of last month, President Trump appeared to welcome President Ramaphosa but suddenly asked for the lights to be turned off, played prepared materials, and raised the issue of "white farmer killings" in South Africa. President Ramaphosa appeared visibly flustered. However, there were later claims that the photos President Trump presented were actually taken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, not South Africa.
It appears that Chancellor Merz is preparing for such situations. Previously, the German government announced that the two leaders would discuss international issues such as the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and trade policy. However, there is also speculation that "European-style democracy" could be brought to the table, including the possible designation of Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a far-right extremist group. In the last German general election, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, declared his support for AfD, which sparked backlash in Europe as "political interference." In addition, members of the Trump administration have claimed that various European countries are suppressing freedom of expression by restricting extremist content, making it likely that President Trump will also raise this issue.
German peace activists are voicing their opinions dressed as President Trump and Chancellor Merz. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
Regarding the upcoming summit, Eric Kirschbaum, an American journalist based in Germany, said, "This is a golden opportunity to explain that the new government is taking a different path from the previous Olaf Scholz administration on issues important to Trump, such as blocking illegal immigration." He also suggested a "golf round" with President Trump, citing the golf diplomacy of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. President Trump, during a round of golf with President Stubb, said he was "listening to the issue of the war in Ukraine." Former Prime Minister Abe, during Trump's first administration, personally drove the golf cart and put effort into golf diplomacy, but once fell backward into a bunker during a round, drawing laughter.
On the 8th, Chancellor Merz spoke with President Trump by phone and, after agreeing to mutual visits, said he would invite him to Bad Duerkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, where Trump's grandparents once lived. Rhineland-Palatinate is a region with a concentration of U.S. military bases, and Chancellor Merz is also known to have completed his military service there in the 1970s. Chancellor Merz stated, "You don't need valerian (a sedative) to remain calm and have a rational conversation with the President of the United States," and added, "There are differences, but also many commonalities. That is exactly what we will discuss."
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