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Germany’s Merz Says Will Not Budge on US Partnership
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Sunday to preserve cooperation with Washington despite mounting friction with US President Donald Trump, even as bilateral tensions continue to escalate over military commitments and pointed public exchanges.
The diplomatic strain intensified after the Pentagon announced Friday its intention to withdraw roughly 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany — a decision that followed Merz's public characterization of the United States as "planless" in its military engagement in Iran and "humiliated by the Iranian leadership."
Speaking in an interview with a public broadcaster, Merz also acknowledged that Washington has shelved plans to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles on German soil for the foreseeable future, though he stopped short of treating the development as a permanent reversal, expressing belief that the option remains on the table.
The Tomahawk systems had originally been pledged by former US President Joe Biden in 2024 as part of a broader effort to reinforce European deterrence. The missile freeze compounds earlier reports from several US media outlets indicating that Washington has additionally scrapped plans to bolster its troop presence across Europe.
"The Americans currently do not have enough themselves," Merz said, offering a measured explanation for the missile decision.
While firmly describing the United States as Germany's most vital partner within NATO, Merz was equally emphatic that Washington's troop withdrawal decision bore no direct relationship to his earlier public criticism of Trump.
The diplomatic strain intensified after the Pentagon announced Friday its intention to withdraw roughly 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany — a decision that followed Merz's public characterization of the United States as "planless" in its military engagement in Iran and "humiliated by the Iranian leadership."
Speaking in an interview with a public broadcaster, Merz also acknowledged that Washington has shelved plans to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles on German soil for the foreseeable future, though he stopped short of treating the development as a permanent reversal, expressing belief that the option remains on the table.
The Tomahawk systems had originally been pledged by former US President Joe Biden in 2024 as part of a broader effort to reinforce European deterrence. The missile freeze compounds earlier reports from several US media outlets indicating that Washington has additionally scrapped plans to bolster its troop presence across Europe.
"The Americans currently do not have enough themselves," Merz said, offering a measured explanation for the missile decision.
While firmly describing the United States as Germany's most vital partner within NATO, Merz was equally emphatic that Washington's troop withdrawal decision bore no direct relationship to his earlier public criticism of Trump.
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