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“Talking with each other instead of talking about each other will be my motto for the visit, which I am very much looking forward to,” she said Monday in Munich.

Whether Trump accepts that gift is anybody’s guess, and Merkel’s visit will undoubtedly spotlight the serious concerns in Berlin about his unconventional presidency. They include fears of a looming trade war and of undermining the European Union, as well as worries of roughshod decision-making in the Middle East that could provoke another refugee crisis.

The trip had been scheduled for Tuesday, but the White House said Monday that it was postponed until Friday because of the weather in Washington. Underscoring how communication between the two sides may yet need a bit of work, a German official close to Merkel said that a firm new date had not been officially confirmed and that Merkel would meet Trump “soon.”

That Merkel and Trump are off to a rocky start is no secret. Trump took swipes at Merkel during the election campaign, decrying her refugee policy as “a sad, sad shame.” For her part, Merkel – who was considered Obama’s closest ally in Europe – responded with a congratulatory message after Trump’s victory that seemed to school him on the importance of democratic values.

Now, weeks after Trump’s meetings with the leaders of other nations, including Japan and Britain, Merkel arrives in Washington with perhaps more to lose than to gain. Locked in a tougher-than-expected bid for reelection this year, she must somehow demonstrate that she is willing to stand up for European values and positions, while also making nice with a trash-talking businessman-turned-president who is deeply unpopular among Germans.