US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, telling him to focus on 'fixing his broken country' and the Russia-Ukraine war instead of 'interfering' in Iran. In a social media post, Trump wrote: 'The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!)' and should address issues such as 'Immigration and Energy'.
The outburst came a day after Trump suggested a 'possible reduction' in US troops stationed in Germany, which currently number between 36,000 and 39,000. Trump's comments appear to have been prompted by Merz's earlier criticism of US policy on Iran and the Middle East. On Thursday, Merz struck a more conciliatory tone, emphasising the importance of NATO and the transatlantic partnership.
German officials sought to downplay the row, noting that threats of troop reductions are not new. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said previous US presidents, including Obama, Biden, and Clinton, had made similar statements. He added that Germany is prepared for any changes and is discussing them closely within NATO.
Defence expert Roderich Kiesewetter cautioned against overreacting, stating that troop reductions were announced some time ago and are no surprise. He highlighted that US bases in Germany, such as Ramstein airbase, serve American global power projection interests as much as German defence.
