BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday stressed Germany’s deep military cooperation with Washington — despite Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany.
Speaking at the German army’s armored training school in the northern town of Munster, the chancellor highlighted close operational ties with the United States military.
“We are working here, and at other key locations in Germany, side-by-side with the United States and our NATO allies,” Merz said, pointing to joint training and cooperation with American forces.
“This work is carried out shoulder-to-shoulder, for our mutual benefit and in deep transatlantic partnership,” he added.
Trump late Wednesday lashed out at Germany, a sign of his rising anger over allied reluctance to help with the war he launched against Iran and his pique at Merz criticizing the conduct of the campaign.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Germany hosts about 36,000 U.S. troops at key bases like Ramstein that both help defend Europe and also serve as crucial hubs for American military operations, including logistics, command and deployments beyond Europe. Those bases are also being used in the ongoing campaign against Iran.
In Munster, Merz avoided direct reference to Trump’s comments, instead emphasizing continuity and alignment with Washington across a range of security issues. “On all these questions, we are in close and trusting contact with our partners — including, and especially, in Washington,” he said.
The chancellor framed Germany’s ongoing military buildup, including increased defense spending and modernization of the Bundeswehr, as part of a broader effort to strengthen both European security and ties with the United States.
“What we are doing is also a contribution to a renewed transatlantic partnership,” he said. Trump has long railed at low European defense budgets, and pushed hard for NATO to boost its military spending target.
Merz also stressed that Berlin’s strategic direction remains unchanged despite geopolitical strains, pointing to NATO as the central pillar of European security.
“Our compass remains clearly set on a strong NATO and a reliable transatlantic partnership,” he said, calling the relationship “particularly important to me personally.”
