G7 Summit for Merz: Test after overture in the Oval Office

2025-06-15 14:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

For Friedrich Merz, these are weeks filled with many new things. Merz has just completed his first visit to the Oval Office. "Successful," the chancellor's staff said. The summit in Canada is seen as a natural continuation of his trip to Washington, according to government sources.

However, the G7 summits (June 15-18) occasionally bring surprises. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel experienced this painfully at the 2018 G7 summit in Quebec, Canada. This was the moment when the iconic photo was taken of the German chancellor surrounded by other heads of government, leaning on a table and leaning towards Donald Trump, who was stubbornly crossing his arms. In the end, Trump, offended, withdrew his signature from the final document - from the air, from Air Force One, via a tweet.

Merz on Trump: "We need to talk with him, not about him"
This is one of the reasons why the chancellor's office and Merz are prepared for anything. The visit to the Oval Office was just the first step, the overture. Now comes proof of how it all works in a team situation with six heads of state and government and an unpredictable Trump on the other side, according to Berlin. But it is also becoming clear in official Berlin: There should be no six-plus-one summit. Multilateralist Merz has just discovered a recipe for the unstable US president: We should stop talking about Donald Trump with a grimace and a raised index finger. "We should talk with him, not about him," recommends Merz, a new participant in the summit.

The club of major industrialized nations celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, but the mood is not one of celebration. Gaza, the trade dispute - and, above all, the war in Ukraine. Merz is traveling to the Rocky Mountains with a mission: to keep the US teetering on the side of the rules-based world. "I'm trying to do everything I can to keep the Americans on our side," Merz said recently. It's not entirely up to him. But it is partly.

Reassessment within the European continent?
EU heads of government, such as Dutchman Dick Schoof and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, are visibly thanking Merz for his "leadership in Europe." According to government sources, Paris and London are quite positive about Merz's new leadership responsibility. Merz recently promised that Germany is back and will fulfill its role in Europe. "Europe must stand together more than ever."

The G7 summit is expected to address issues of tariffs, trade wars, raw materials, but above all the war in Ukraine. Official Berlin does not expect a joint statement from the seven countries on Ukraine to succeed. Among other things, because the US president seems difficult to understand on this topic as well./ DW