BERLIN--German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he must accept that President Donald Trump does not share his opinions in order to work with the United States within NATO, but stressed there was no link between their rift and a planned troop drawdown.
Merz dismissed suggestions that his criticism of U.S. war planning in Iran had sparked Washington's Friday announcement that the U.S. would reduce its military presence in Germany, its largest European base, by 5,000 soldiers, and repeated his commitment to the transatlantic alliance.
Merz had questioned whether Trump had an exit plan for the Middle East and said the U.S. was being "embarrassed" in talks with Iran. Trump later called Merz an "ineffectual" leader.
"I have to accept that the American president has a different view on these issues than we do. But that does not change the fact that I remain convinced that the Americans are important partners for us," Merz told public broadcaster ARD in an interview due to be aired later on Sunday.
Asked whether U.S. plans to reduce its troop presence in Germany had anything to do with the spat between the two leaders, Merz said, "There is no connection."
Trump called for a reduced U.S. military presence in Germany already during his first term and has repeatedly called on Europeans to take greater responsibility for their own security.Friday's announcement is also seen as a cancellation of a plan under Joe Biden's administration to deploy a U.S. battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany.
This is a blow to Berlin, which had pushed for the move as a powerful deterrent against Russia, while the Europeans develop such weapons of their own.Merz said Trump had never committed to this plan and that it was unlikely the U.S. would give up such weapons systems, adding, "If I'm not mistaken, the Americans don't have enough themselves at the moment."
The planned drawdown of U.S. troops should spur Europe to strengthen its own defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, but two top U.S. Republican lawmakers expressed concern, saying the troops should not leave Europe.
The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions placed further strain on relations between the U.S. and Europe. "We're going to cut way down and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000," U.S. President Donald Trump said in remarks to reporters in Florida on Saturday when asked about the plan.
Republican lawmakers Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, the chairs of the Senate and House armed services committees, said they were "very concerned." They said the troops should not be moved from Europe, but moved east.
"Prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin," they said in a joint statement.
Pistorius said the partial withdrawal was expected and would affect a current U.S. presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany."We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security," Pistorius said, adding, "Germany is on the right track" by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure.
