Merz to Trump: "If you want us to help you in the war, you should have called us before starting it"

BerlinThe German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, does not believe that German-American relations are in crisis, following the announcement by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, that he will withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany. Washington made this decision on Friday amid a public dispute between Trump and the chancellor over the United States and Israel's war against Iran. “Perhaps it is being exaggerated a bit, but [the withdrawal of soldiers] is nothing new”, Merz stated on Sunday night in an interview with the public broadcaster ARD, one year after his arrival at the chancellery and the content of which was anticipated by the German press.

Merz denied that his criticism of Washington's strategy regarding Iran has influenced Trump's decision to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany. “There is no relationship whatsoever”, the chancellor stated. The Christian Democrat leader reaffirmed his criticism of Washington's strategy in relation to Iran and also defended his assertion that the Iranians had “humiliated” the Americans at the negotiating table to end the conflict.

The chancellor explained that from the beginning he had made his position on the war with Iran clear and had communicated it to the American president. “If you want us to help you in a conflict of this type, you should have called us before [starting it] and you should have asked us [for our view]”, the chancellor told Trump. The United States and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February without consulting or previously informing their European allies., Merz said he had to accept that the republican president had a different opinion than his.Washington, the most important partner for Berlin

Regarding his relationship with Trump, Merz said he had to accept that the Republican president had a different opinion from his., Merz said he had to accept that the Republican president had a different opinion from his. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I remain convinced that the Americans are our most important partners in the North Atlantic Alliance”, said Merz, a convinced Atlanticist. Merz also alluded to his relationship with Trump in another interview given to the German weekly Der Spiegel. “I told Trump why we consider the war with Iran to be a mistake. Despite this, I try to maintain a good personal relationship with the American president. So far I have succeeded”.

In his interview with Der Spiegel, the Chancellor justified remaining silent in public when Trump attacked Spain and the United Kingdom in March, in his presence, for not supporting the war with Iran. “It was a brief monologue. But I wasn’t going to start talking about Spain or the United Kingdom in front of the press in the Oval Office. I told the president behind closed doors that both countries are reliable NATO partners and that we must not lose them”, recalled Merz. The conservative leader considered that “it makes no sense to have a controversial discussion in this environment. I’ve seen those who have done it and they haven’t come out well”. In everyone’s mind is Trump’s public reprimand of President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington.

Merz's silence in the face of Trump caused one of the coldest moments in years in relations between Berlin and Madrid, although Pedro Sánchez and Merz later reconciled at a European summit.