U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz bonded during an amicable White House meeting on Thursday with talks about Ukraine, trade and troops, but none of the fireworks that characterized other Oval Office visits by foreign leaders.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, a day after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, that he encountered a U.S. administration open to discussion and returned confident that Washington remains committed to NATO.

Germany’s new chancellor has a mission when he meets President Trump: keeping him invested in the fate of Europe. Friedrich Merz is the latest leader from the continent to travel to the White House in recent weeks,