German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had strongly criticized the Iran war led by U.S. President Donald Trump, hurriedly rolled up his sleeves to contain the situation as successive retaliatory measures hit Germany on both security and economic fronts.
After the U.S. government moved to sharply reduce U.S. forces in Germany and abruptly notified a hike in automobile tariffs, Merz belatedly set out to mend the rift, repeatedly stressing the importance of the alliance.
On the 3rd (local time), Merz said in an interview aired that day on German public broadcaster ARD, "We remain convinced that the United States is our most important partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)."
Asked whether the U.S. plan to cut U.S. forces in Germany was related to tensions between the two leaders, Merz said, "There is no connection." On a question about the Iran war, Merz added, "We have to accept that the U.S. president holds a different view from ours," focusing on urging against escalation.
The episode was triggered when Merz on the 27th directly targeted the United States, saying "an entire nation is being humiliated by Iran's leadership." An enraged Trump immediately blasted Merz on social media, saying he should "focus on fixing your broken country."
The venting did not end with words. The U.S. Ministry of National Defense on the 1st abruptly announced it would withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months. Trump then pulled out an economic retaliation card, saying he would raise tariffs on European Union-made passenger cars and trucks to 25% from 15% starting next week. Meeting reporters on the 2nd, Trump further raised the pressure on allies regarding the troop drawdown, saying, "It will be much more than 5,000."
As the situation turned serious, German ministers also joined in trying to soothe the United States. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul disclosed on X on the 3rd that he had spoken by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying, "As a close U.S. ally, we share the same goal that Iran must abandon nuclear weapons completely and verifiably and immediately open the Strait of Hormuz."
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, in an interview with a domestic outlet, likewise highlighted the strategic value of U.S. troops, saying, "The U.S. military's presence in Europe, especially in Germany, serves our interests and America's interests."
However, some assessed that as the Trump administration continues to treat alliances as strictly economic transactions, the trans-Atlantic alliance is sliding toward a rupture that will be hard to reverse. The U.S. Ministry of National Defense, along with the troop withdrawal, completely scrapped plans to deploy to Germany a long-range strike battalion considered a core deterrent. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X on the 2nd that "the greatest threat to the Atlantic community is not an external enemy but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance," voicing strong concern.
Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Mike Rogers, the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, also opposed the administration's decision, saying "an early troop reduction risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin."