Speaking to public broadcaster ARD ahead of the first anniversary of his taking office, Merz acknowledged the rift with Trump but insisted the relationship remained functional.
"We have different views on the war. That is no secret... However, we share one common goal: Iran must not acquire a nuclear bomb. We are trying to prevent that together", he said.
Merz denied that the Pentagon's announced withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany was retaliation for his criticism of U.S. Iran policy. "There is a contingent of U.S. soldiers deployed to Europe by Joe Biden. Their withdrawal has been discussed for some time", he said, noting that Washington had recently pulled a "significant contingent" from Romania as well. More than 30,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in Germany, he added.
On the broader relationship, Merz struck a conciliatory tone. "I remain convinced that the Americans are an important partner for us — the most important in the North Atlantic Alliance", he said. "We talk to each other quite regularly and quite reasonably".
The chancellor acknowledged that a Tomahawk medium-range missile delivery agreed with the Biden administration had not been confirmed by Trump, saying he believed the U.S. itself lacked sufficient stocks of the weapon. "We are developing our own systems in Europe", he said, while noting that Tomahawks "cannot currently be replaced".
He said Germany's security remained guaranteed through its participation in the U.S. nuclear sharing program and NATO's nuclear deterrence commitment.
The Pentagon announced Friday it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany within six to twelve months, describing the move as the result of an internal review. The announcement came after Trump publicly rebuked Merz on Thursday, saying the chancellor should focus on ending the war in Ukraine and fixing his own country rather than interfering with those eliminating the Iranian threat. On Saturday, Trump said he intended to reduce U.S. forces in Germany by more than the 5,000 already announced.
Germany currently hosts between 35,000 and 37,000 U.S. troops. In 2020, Trump announced the withdrawal of 9,500 of them, accusing Berlin of failing to meet its NATO commitments; those plans were not ultimately carried out.
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Source: PAP