Merz Will Not Give Up Maintaining Germany's Relationship with the US

In an interview with German broadcaster ARD, Merz declined to exaggerate the tensions between the two countries. He stated that Trump’s announcement to withdraw 5,000 US troops from bases in Germany was not surprising and not regarded as a form of retaliation, adding that it “has nothing to do with” the latest differences of opinion. What did Merz say about transatlantic relations? “I am not giving up on continuing to strive for transatlantic relations,” emphasised Friedrich Merz to ARD. “I am also not giving up on cooperating with Donald Trump.” Merz came under fire from Trump, who rebuked him for stating that Tehran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table. Trump accused Merz of “not minding if Iran has nuclear weapons” and commented that Germany “is performing very poorly, both economically and otherwise.” Trump’s comments about Merz were followed by the announcement of the troop reduction in Germany. On the same day, he also announced tariff increases on cars and trucks from the European Union, a move that will have the greatest impact on the German economy. What is Merz’s view on the Iran war? Merz is the latest European leader to be criticised by Trump in response to differences of opinion regarding the Iran war. The US President has also clashed with Spain and the UK over the issue. However, the German Chancellor emphasised that he still shares the same goal with Trump, namely to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons, indicating that Germany remains aligned with US interests in this regard. “We have different views on this war. That’s no secret,” Merz confided to ARD. “I’m not the only one who feels that way,” he added. “But that does not change the fact that I remain convinced that the United States is an important partner for us, our most important partner in the Atlantic alliance,” Merz continued. US Tomahawk delivery to Germany unlikely, says Merz Merz also appeared to confirm to ARD that the plan to deploy US long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany is likely to be cancelled. “As far as I can see at the moment, objectively, there is almost no possibility of the US supplying a weapons system like this,” Merz added. “America itself currently does not have sufficient stocks.” The Tomahawk delivery was previously promised by former US President Joe Biden, as part of a series of measures to secure against the Russian threat. Merz said that the wars in Iran and Ukraine are affecting US supplies, but he hinted that this is temporary and could change in the future.