German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is in Washington on his first official visit to the US since taking office office. Klingbeil is set meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss trade, global cooperation, and trans-Atlantic ties. The talks follow a key deal easing tariffs between the EU and the US, cutting duties on European imports to 15%. The finance minister earlier told German media that "weaknesses" had been "exposed" during the wrangling over US tariffs. Meanwhile, just 16% of Germans say they would be willing to take up arms in the event of an attack, a new study has revealed, while more than a quarter of those surveyed said they considered a military attack on the country within the next five years to be very or somewhat likely. And Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder has called for a reduction in benefit rates for Ukrainian refugees in Germany. Below you can read a roundup of events, backgrounders and analysis of stories from and connected with Germany on Monday, August 4: