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.

Germany’s new leader is meeting President Trump in Washington as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine, help defuse trade tensions

Germany and Ukraine strike a deal to jointly develop weapons with "no range restrictions," as the Kremlin says Trump's jabs at Putin are due to him "not being informed."

The idea is to better integrate the group’s work with NATO's Ukraine aid mission and the smattering of so-called capability coalitions.

The two leaders met at the White House on Thursday as they work to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine, while helping to minimize trade tensions that present a risk to Germany’s economy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their range and targets.

Germany lifts range restrictions on weapons to Ukraine, allowing attacks on Russian military positions. Chancellor Merz emphasizes Western support amid conflict.

The West has lifted all range restrictions on the weapons delivered to Ukraine, freeing Kyiv to strike at any Russian military target across the border, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said

Defence ministers from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meet on Wednesday in Brussels to coordinate and raise further military support for Kiev. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to brief his country's allies on the situation on the battlefield and Ukraine's most pressing needs.

BERLIN (AP) — 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.