German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday vowed to "defend free trade as the basis of our prosperity", a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs and taxes on trade partners.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced cautious optimism on Tuesday on the potential for German-U.S. relations under President Donald Trump, citing good first talks with his administration, and stressed that cooperation was key for peace and prosperity.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced cautious optimism on Tuesday on the potential for German-U.S. relations under President Donald Trump, citing good first talks with his administration, but stressed the importance of "cool heads" in the face of uncertainty.

While leading German politicians fear the worst from Trump's second presidency, German parties are taking very different approaches to him. The far-right AfD is delighted, and was even invited to Trump's inauguration.

Trump has expressed renewed interest in the U.S. taking control of Greenland, going so far as to refusing to rule out military intervention.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed cautious optimism regarding German-U.S. relations under President Trump, following positive discussions. Emphasizing the importance of sustained alliance and self-reliance for Europe,

Germany’s ambassador to Washington has warned internally of turbulent relations under Trump while German companies have sounded the alarm over threatened tariffs under the new U.S. administration.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he does not expect the United States to halt military aid to Ukraine after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Speaking in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned whether Trump was committed to NATO and European security.

German and French leaders Olaf Scholz and Emmanual Macron will hold bilateral talks. Topics are likely to include the new Trump administration, war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.