Live Text Trump received Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. US president teases the German Chancellor

Germany's Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, was received by US President Donald Trump at Washington. The rates, the defense expenses and the Ukrainian war are among the priorities of the discussion agenda.

Trump received Merz at the White House Profimedia's White House

UPDATE The conversation is heading for the Ukraine war.

Trump says the war would never have happened if he had been president at the time. “No chance, zero,” Trump tells Merz.

The “number of war dead” is “much higher” than reports, says Trump.

Merz assures Trump that “we are all looking for measures to put an end to this terrible war.”

He mentions that tomorrow is the anniversary of the day Z. “This was the liberation of my country from the Nazi dictatorship,” he says, telling Trump “we owe you.”

“America is again in a very strong position to put an end to this war,” he adds.

He says he has to support Ukraine together and put pressure on Russia.

Trump replies: “We will discuss it.”

UPDATE Trump welcomes the increase of Germany's defense expenses

The US president is then asked if Germany is doing enough in the field of defense.

Trump says that Germany spends more money now, a move that describes as positive.

Then he seems to make a joke about World War II: “They said that Germany never let go.”

Continuing, he says that Germany's reunion is a good thing – “at least to a certain point.”

“We will be careful,” he says, then explains to those in the room that he is joking.

UPDATE “All we want is a very good relationship,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He says that his interlocutor is “difficult”, but he teases Merz, saying that he “would not want him to say that he himself would be an easy man”.

“We will have a good commercial understanding,” Trump continues.

He says that an agreement in this regard will be largely established by the EU, “but you are a very important part of this,” Trump tells Merz.

UPDATE Trump is also asked about the travel prohibition imposed on 12 countries in particular why it was now introduced and why Egypt was not on the list.

In his announcement on the ban, he invoked the reasons for the recent attack in Colorado, in which an Egyptian citizen attacked participants in an event in the Jewish community.

“They have things under control in Egypt,” he said, adding that the ban could not come soon.

UPDATE The German Chancellor began the speech, thanking Donald Trump for the Invitation to the White House.

He says he is “very happy to be here.”

“We have a lot in common,” says Merz about Germany and the US.

The beginning of the meeting has so far been ideal for Merz, Trump promising a “very good” relationship with Germany, writes BBC.

As expected, Ukraine was quickly brought into question, perhaps a signal of the central point of the following meeting.

Trump smiles and seems to be in a polite and cordial disposition.