Berlin, May 4, 2026 – The Europe Today: Friedrich Merz has reaffirmed that the United States remains Germany’s most important ally within NATO, despite recent tensions between the two countries over security and foreign policy issues.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X late Sunday, Merz emphasised shared strategic objectives, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons,” he said.
The remarks come against the backdrop of recent friction between Berlin and Washington, after Merz criticised the US for lacking a clear “exit strategy” in the ongoing Iran conflict and suggested that American negotiators had been “humiliated” during talks with Tehran.
Addressing defence cooperation, Merz said that the United States would not deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany for the time being, attributing the decision to limited US inventory rather than political disagreements. He clarified that the issue was unrelated to his earlier criticism of Donald Trump.
“The Americans do not currently have sufficient capacity themselves. Objectively, there is little possibility of supplying such systems at this time,” Merz said in an interview with ARD.
Meanwhile, Trump indicated on Saturday that Washington plans to further reduce its military presence in Germany, expanding on a previously announced troop drawdown. Speaking to reporters in Florida, he said the reduction would go beyond earlier figures of 5,000 troops.
The developments highlight evolving dynamics within the transatlantic alliance, even as both sides continue to stress the importance of cooperation on shared security challenges.
