BERLIN

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has voiced concern over the state of relations with the US ahead of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, German media reported Wednesday.

“The tone hasn't been as harsh as this for a long time," Wadephul said at a meeting of former Arthur F. Burns Fellowship scholars in Berlin, according to the newspaper Die Zeit.

Merz is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on Thursday.

Wadephul cited “profound changes in the US itself with an unknown outcome” and a shift in diplomatic style since the Trump administration took office, calling the situation “unsettling and also disconcerting.”

However, he urged calm, saying Germany should “not panic” but instead weather this “stormy phase” by prioritizing its national interests.

That includes boosting Germany’s defense capabilities, protecting its trade interests, and defending values such as freedom of expression and academic freedom, he added.

Wadephul, who visited Washington last week, said talks with his US counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had been encouraging.

"They have given me confidence that we can reach agreements in our mutual interest, even on issues where we disagree."

Chancellor facing difficult talks with Trump

Merz is scheduled to travel to the US on Wednesday ahead of his inaugural face-to-face meeting with Trump.

During the election campaign, he sharply criticized US interference in German domestic affairs.

Relations remain strained by Trump's threat to impose long-term high tariffs on European Union goods.

Merz and other European leaders are also struggling to find common ground with Washington on the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia.