German Chancellor Merz sends birthday letter and gift to Trump

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sent a handwritten birthday letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, congratulating him on his 80th birthday. The letter is reportedly being delivered by a courier to the White House. Merz is also scheduled to personally present Trump with a gift during the upcoming G7 summit in Évian, France.

The exact nature of the gift has not yet been revealed. Trump is celebrating his 80th birthday on Sunday with a celebration at the White House, which will include a cage fight. He is set to travel to France immediately after for the G7 summit, where he will meet with Merz and other leaders of economically strong Western democracies.

This is not the first time Merz has gifted Trump. During Trump's initial visits to the U.S. nearly a year ago, Merz presented him with a copy of his grandfather's birth certificate from Kallstadt, Germany, and a golf club. In March, during his third visit to Washington, Merz gave Trump a replica of a 1785 friendship and trade treaty between the U.S. and Prussia.

Despite a very positive start to their relationship last year, the rapport between Merz and Trump has cooled significantly. This cooling is attributed to Merz's strong criticism of the Iran conflict. In response to Merz's remarks, Trump announced plans to withdraw troops from Germany. While a bilateral meeting between Merz and Trump at the G7 summit is considered likely, it has not yet been confirmed.