He stated, “I am committed to maintaining the transatlantic relationship and continuing cooperation with Donald Trump.”
On Sunday, Merz aimed to downplay the significance of the disagreement, especially the potential U.S. troop withdrawal, describing it as part of ongoing military planning rather than an abrupt change.
“The American soldiers stationed in Europe were initially positioned here temporarily by [former U.S. President] Joe Biden. Discussions about their withdrawal have been ongoing for some time,” he commented, emphasizing the frequent global repositioning of U.S. forces.
The situation regarding military support is less clear. The 2024 U.S. pledge to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany — still undelivered — remains unrenewed under Trump, causing concern in Europe about continued defense gaps against Russia.

“We had a commitment from Joe Biden for Tomahawk missile delivery. Donald Trump has not reiterated that commitment,” Merz said.
Nonetheless, the chancellor indicated the issue might be more practical than political: “Currently, it seems there is hardly any feasible option from the U.S. to provide such weapon systems.”











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