Since coming to office a year ago, Chancellor Merz has often indicated that Trump’s policies have changed the traditionally close relationship between the US and Europe.<\/p>\n
In February, for instance, Merz said “a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States”. But the German chancellor has visited the White House twice in a year in an effort to smooth the strains in trans-Atlantic ties. <\/p>\n
Alongside other European countries, Germany has been critical of the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on 28 February, which has considerably raised fears of a global economic downturn. <\/p>\n
Germany’s coalition government has been struggling to boost the economy which has been stagnant for years, with high energy costs and a weak demand for exports playing a significant role.<\/p>\n
Last month, Merz told students that “the Americans clearly have no strategy” and he could not see “what strategic exit” they were going to choose.<\/p>\n
“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” he said.<\/p>\n
The “entire nation” was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership, he added.<\/p>\n
Trump responded the following day with a post to Truth Social, where he said Merz thought it was “OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”<\/p>\n
“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” the post read.<\/p>\n
Dragging the row on, Trump later suggested Merz should focus more on “fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat”.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month and just days after Merz’s initial comments, the US defence department announced a plan to withdraw 5,000 troops form Germany – an order which has been attributed to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n
Germany’s defence minister said the Pentagon decision was “foreseeable”<\/a>.<\/p>\n The US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, with about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.<\/p>\n