By Andreas Rinke, Andrea Shalal, Sarah Marsh and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz kicked off a White House meeting on Thursday with talks on Ukraine and trade but none of the fireworks that have characterized other Oval Office meetings with foreign leaders.

President Trump's meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will take place amid a backdrop of tensions between the U.S. and Europe over trade and Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Germany’s new leader is meeting President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine, help defuse trade tensions that pose a risk to Europe’s biggest economy and further bolster his country’s long-criticized military spending.