Merz Downplays Dispute with Trump, Emphasizes US Troop Reduction Unrelated to Their Differences
German Chancellor Merz stated that he must accept President Trump's differing views to cooperate within NATO, but stressed that their disagreements are unrelated to the proposed reduction of 5,000 US troops in Germany. This reduction also scuttled a plan to deploy Tomahawk missile units in Germany.
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- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 07:37
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency Berlin, May 3rd, comprehensive foreign news report) German Chancellor Merz stated that in order to cooperate with the United States within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he must accept that President Trump does not agree with his views, but emphasized that their differences are unrelated to the proposed troop reduction plan.
According to Reuters, it is widely believed that Washington's announcement on May 1st to reduce 5,000 US troops from Germany, which hosts the largest number of US forces in Europe, was due to Merz's criticism of the US's war planning in Iran. Merz refuted this view and reiterated his commitment to the transatlantic alliance.
Merz had previously questioned whether Trump had an exit strategy for the Middle East and claimed that the US was "humiliated" by Iran at the negotiating table. Trump subsequently criticized Merz as an "incompetent" leader.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, Merz pointed out: "I must accept that the American president holds different views on these issues than we do. But this does not change the fact that I firmly believe the United States is our important partner."
When asked if the US reduction of troops in Germany was related to their quarrel, Merz replied: "The two are unrelated."
The aforementioned US announcement also scuttled a plan, devised during the previous Biden administration, to deploy a US battalion-level unit equipped with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany. This constitutes a blow to Germany, which has recently been actively promoting the plan, viewing it as a strong deterrent against Russia.
Merz stated that Trump had never committed to promoting this deployment plan. He said: "If my memory serves me correctly, the United States itself currently does not have enough [of these missiles]." (Translated by: He Hongru)
(Central News Agency Berlin, May 3rd, comprehensive foreign news report) German Chancellor Merz stated that in order to cooperate with the United States within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he must accept that President Trump does not agree with his views, but emphasized that their differences are unrelated to the proposed troop reduction plan.
According to Reuters, it is widely believed that Washington's announcement on May 1st to reduce 5,000 US troops from Germany, which hosts the largest number of US forces in Europe, was due to Merz's criticism of the US's war planning in Iran. Merz refuted this view and reiterated his commitment to the transatlantic alliance.
Merz had previously questioned whether Trump had an exit strategy for the Middle East and claimed that the US was "humiliated" by Iran at the negotiating table. Trump subsequently criticized Merz as an "incompetent" leader.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, Merz pointed out: "I must accept that the American president holds different views on these issues than we do. But this does not change the fact that I firmly believe the United States is our important partner."
When asked if the US reduction of troops in Germany was related to their quarrel, Merz replied: "The two are unrelated."
The aforementioned US announcement also scuttled a plan, devised during the previous Biden administration, to deploy a US battalion-level unit equipped with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany. This constitutes a blow to Germany, which has recently been actively promoting the plan, viewing it as a strong deterrent against Russia.
Merz stated that Trump had never committed to promoting this deployment plan. He said: "If my memory serves me correctly, the United States itself currently does not have enough [of these missiles]." (Translated by: He Hongru)