German Chancellor Friedrich Merz avoided a feared public spat during his first meeting with American President Donald Trump, dodging the fate of some of his fellow leaders.

There had been tense anticipation in Berlin about Merz's first visit to Washington, after Trump had used bilateral press conferences in the Oval Office to publicly confront the presidents of Ukraine and South Africa.

But the public portion of Merz's meeting with Trump passed without major disruption, as the US president dominated the conversation, paying little attention to the chancellor.

When he did, the president repeatedly complimented the chancellor, praising Merz's recent electoral success as well as his English, while throwing in a few digs at former former Chancellor Angela Merkel, including criticism of her

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