German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to roll out the red carpet for French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin Wednesday evening in an effort to project goodwill between the two leaders amid growing tensions.

The French president and the German chancellor met on Wednesday, July 23, to prepare for a joint cabinet meeting scheduled for August 29. From defense projects to trade negotiations, several disagreements remain.

Today, our Berlin and Paris bureau chiefs preview a meeting between Europe’s two most powerful national leaders, and I set out the dividing lines ahead of the EU’s summit with China tomorrow. French President Macron travels to Berlin today for the third display of Franco-German affection since German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party won elections in February — though this time discussions promise to be trickier,

The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany plan to hold an emergency call Friday about the hunger crisis in Gaza.

When Macron visited the Egyptian town of Al-Arish on the border with Gaza in April, he was struck by the mounting humanitarian crisis and made clear on his return home that Paris would soon opt for recognition.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state builds on international outrage over Israel’s curbs on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, although it’s unlikely to have an immediate impact on the war against Hamas in the territory.