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Merz stresses commitment to transatlantic partnership

2026-04-30 15:51:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Merz stresses commitment to transatlantic partnership

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the importance of the transatlantic partnership with the United States, just hours after President Donald Trump said his administration was considering reducing the number of American troops in Germany.
Speaking to reporters at a military base, Merz said Germany's compass remains focused on a strong NATO military alliance and reliable partnership.

Trump and Merz have clashed in recent days over the Iran war. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn't know what he was talking about after the German leader said the Iranians were humiliating the United States in talks to end the two-month war.

"The United States is studying and reviewing the potential reduction of troops in Germany, with a decision to be made in the near future," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Merz did not mention Trump's latest comment or answer questions after his statement, but reaffirmed Berlin's openness to participating in a military mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the conditions were met. The strait has been largely blocked since the outbreak of the conflict with Iran.

Merz said Berlin remained in "trusting contact" with partners and especially with Washington on Iran.
The US had just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel permanently assigned to its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, data from the US Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) show.

More than half - about 36,400 - are stationed in Germany. That's a small fraction of the 250,000 US troops who were stationed there in 1985, before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War./CNA, translated by Reuters





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