German Chancellor Merz Clings to US Ties Despite Trump’s Tariff and Troop Threats

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is trying to keep the fragile US-Germany relationship afloat despite President Donald Trump’s recent barrage of insults, troop cuts, and tariff hikes aimed squarely at Germany’s economic interests.

In an interview with German broadcaster ARD, Merz sought to downplay tensions between the two allies. He said Trump’s announcement to pull 5,000 US troops from German bases was “not surprising” and insisted the move was not retaliation for recent disagreements, including Merz’s criticism of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Merz told ARD, “I am not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship. Nor am I giving up on working with Donald Trump.” This comes after Trump publicly scolded Merz for calling Iran’s negotiation tactics “humiliating” to Washington and accused Germany of economic weakness. On the same day, Trump announced a steep increase in tariffs on cars and trucks from the EU, a move that will hit Germany hardest.

The spat over Iran policy is just the latest flashpoint in Trump’s confrontations with European leaders, including Spain and the UK. Merz acknowledged the countries have “different views” on the Iran war but emphasized that Germany shares the US goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Merz also confirmed that the planned deployment of US Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany—initially promised by former President Joe Biden as part of a deterrence strategy against Russia—is now unlikely. “Objectively speaking, there is hardly any possibility of the US supplying weapons systems of this kind,” Merz said, citing US supply constraints due to ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.

This episode highlights the growing strain in transatlantic ties under Trump’s erratic leadership. His use of military withdrawals and punitive tariffs as leverage against allies threatens to undermine the NATO alliance and Germany’s economic stability. Merz’s determination to maintain cooperation with Trump may be pragmatic, but it also underscores how much the US-Germany relationship is being tested by Trump’s transactional and confrontational approach to foreign policy.