German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he would not give up on working with U.S. President Donald Trump, despite a public spat between the leaders over the war in Iran.
"I am not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship," Merz told public broadcaster ARD in an interview set to air Sunday night. "Nor am I giving up on working with Donald Trump."
Downplaying tensions
Merz sought to downplay any tensions with Trump, arguing for instance that an abrupt public announcement that the U.S. would pull 5,000 troops from bases in Germany was not surprising and should not be seen as retaliation.
"It may be being exaggerated a bit, but it's not new," Merz told talk show host Caren Miosga.
Criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran from Merz and other European leaders has clearly aggravated Trump. The latest rift came after Merz on April 27 said that Iran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table. That provoked a series of angry responses from Washington, including Trump's comments that Merz was doing a "terrible" job as chancellor.
Troop withdrawal 'no connection' to disagreements
Merz on Sunday said the U.S. decision on troops had "no connection" with the recent disagreements. The chancellor also appeared to confirm that a planned deployment of U.S. long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany — announced by former U.S. president Joe Biden — was being called off, at least for the time being. He cited depleted arsenals because of the wars in Iran and Ukraine as the reason.
"The Americans themselves don't have enough at the moment," he said. "Objectively speaking, there is hardly any possibility from the U.S. of relinquishing weapons systems of this kind."
But he insisted the "train has not departed" for possible cooperation in the future, and that European NATO powers could continue deterring Russia without those particular missiles or U.S. forces.
Trump's broader criticism
Trump's criticism of European leaders has not been confined to Merz. He previously ridiculed British Prime Minister Kier Starmer, and on Thursday told reporters that "Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible."
But Merz insisted that he still shared Trump's goal of ensuring Iran never obtains an atomic weapon, even if he has criticized the U.S. handling of the conflict. "We have a different view of this war. That's no secret," Merz said in the interview. "I'm not the only one who feels that way."
Important partners
Merz insisted that Trump respects his right to hold differing views — though perhaps "a little less for the moment." "But that does not alter the fact that I remain convinced that the Americans are important partners for us — our most important partners in the North Atlantic alliance," Merz said.
