New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sets off on his first trip abroad on Wednesday to France and Poland in a bid to renew relations with the country's top allies and show that Germany is back on the world stage despite a bumpy start to his government.

BERLIN — Friedrich Merz made his world-affairs debut Wednesday as Germany’s new chancellor , with plans to immediately team up with allies France and Poland to present a united European front on support for Ukraine and against U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.