US Edition
German Chancellor Downplays Row with Trump After Troop Drawdown Announced
Merz said the troop reduction was not tied to his dispute with Trump and reaffirmed Germany's commitment to NATO, despite the loss of 5,000 soldiers.
- On Friday, Washington announced a 5,000-soldier reduction in Germany, canceling a Biden-era plan to deploy long-range Tomahawk missiles as a deterrent against Russia.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned U.S. war planning in the Middle East, saying the U.S. was being "embarrassed" in Iran talks, prompting President Donald Trump to call him an "ineffectual" leader.
- Merz dismissed suggestions that his criticism sparked the drawdown, stating "There is no connection," and added the Americans likely lacked sufficient missiles themselves to deploy.
- In an interview aired Sunday on ARD, Merz stated he must accept the American president's differing views to work within NATO while remaining convinced the Americans are important partners.
- President Trump has pushed for reduced U.S. presence in Germany since his first term, consistently calling on Europeans to assume greater responsibility for their own security.
39 Articles
39 Articles
In the ARD broadcast, the Chancellor denies a connection between Iran's dispute with Trump and the US withdrawal.
German Chancellor Merz pledges continued cooperation after US troop cut plan
Berlin: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, despite the recent verbal tensions with US President Donald Trump, he would not give up on cooperation with the US side. The Pentagon announced on Friday that it is planning to withdraw about 5,000 US troops from Germany. This announcement came after Merz’s remarks about the United States being “planless” in its military engagement in Iran and “humiliated by the Iranian leadership.” During an interv…
I am not abandoning cooperation with the American president, the German Chancellor stressed and rejected the connection between the withdrawal of American troops and his criticism of Trump.
South China Morning Post
German Chancellor downplays row with Trump after troop drawdown announced
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he must accept that US President Donald Trump does not share his opinions to work with the United States within Nato but stressed there was no link between their rift and a planned troop drawdown. Merz dismissed suggestions that his criticism of US war planning in Iran had sparked Washington’s Friday announcement that the US would reduce its military presence in Germany, its largest European base, by 5,000 …
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