US EditionGerman chancellor downplays row with Trump after troop drawdown announced
Merz said the drawdown is unrelated to his criticism of U.S. Iran policy and will still remove about 5,000 troops, officials said.
- 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.
61 Articles
61 Articles
German Chancellor Merz Downplays Rift With Trump Over US Troop Drawdown
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played down talk of a rift with U.S. President Donald Trump after the White House announced a big drawdown of troops stationed in Germany. Last week, Merz—a conservative who became chancellor last year—said the United States appeared to have no strategy for the Middle East conflict and said it was “being humiliated” by the Iranian leadership. In response, in a post on Truth Social on April 30, Trump wrote, “T…
Conflict in the coalition, dissatisfaction in his own ranks and an imminent clash with the United States: the German Chancellor is under pressure from several sides. He tries to smooth the waves – but with his statements he offers a new area of attack.
Germany news: Merz plays down US military withdrawal plans
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said a US threat to pull troops out of Germany is "nothing new." Meanwhile, Germany’s interior minister says border controls will stay despite falling asylum numbers. DW has more.
US journalist Erik Kirschbaum sees the planned US troop withdrawal from Germany as a direct consequence of Chancellor Merz's criticism of US President Trump: "That totally offended Trump, and now we're getting the punishment." Source link: https://www.welt.de/videos/video69f8396a6fe2dee7bfb11e11/moeglicher-truppenabzug-merz-hat-mist-gebaut-und-trump-ist-sauer.html Author: Publish date: 2026-05-04 06:46:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs…
The decision to remove 5,000 U.S. soldiers from German soil sounds like a political punishment inflicted on Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The episode reveals the dead corners of strategic choices of...
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
