Germany's Merz stresses commitment to transatlantic partnership

FREE Breaking News Alerts from StreetInsider.com!

E-mail Address

StreetInsider.com Top Tickers, 6/23/2026

1. SPCX
2. ABBV
3. SPY
4. IBM
5. META
6. MU
7. ACN
8. NVDA
9. FDX
10. BLZE

April 30, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on, on the day of army training at a military base of the German Army, Bundeswehr, in Munster, Germany, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

MUNSTER, Germany, April 30 (Reuters) - ‌German Chancellor Friedrich ​Merz ​emphasized on Thursday the importance of the transatlantic partnership with the U.S., just hours after President Donald Trump said his ‌administration was looking at reducing the number of U.S. troops ⁠in Germany.

Speaking to reporters at a military base, Merz said Germany's compass remained focused ‌on a strong NATO military ‌alliance and reliable partnership.

"As you know, this transatlantic partnership is particularly close to our hearts - and to mine personally," he said.

Trump has been ​sparring with Merz over the war in Iran in recent days. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn't know what he was talking ⁠about after the German leader said the Iranians were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end ​the two-month-old war.

"The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination ​to be made over the next short ‌period of time," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Merz did not mention Trump's latest comment or take ⁠questions after his statement but reaffirmed Berlin's openness to participating in a military mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once conditions were met. The strait has ⁠largely been blockaded since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.

Merz said Berlin remained in "trusting ​contact" with partners and especially Washington on Iran.

The U.S. had just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently at its overseas bases in Europe as of December ‌2025, data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) shows.

More than half - about 36,400 - are based in Germany. ‌That is a fraction of the 250,000 U.S. troops that were based there ⁠in 1985, before the fall ‌of the Berlin Wall ​and the end of the Cold War.

(Reporting by Reuters TV, writing by Sabine Siebold and James Mackenzie; Editing by ‌Bernadette Baum)


Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

You May Also Be Interested In





Related Categories

Reuters

Related Entities

Donald J. Trump