Mar 3, 2026, 10:06 p.mMar 3, 2026, 10:06 p.m
Friedrich Merz and Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday evening.Image: keystone
US President Donald Trump has assured Chancellor Friedrich Merz that the US wants to maintain its troop presence in Germany. Trump had assured him “not just today, but again that the United States is sticking to its military presence in Germany,” said the CDU chairman in Washington after a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House. “This is good news, but I didn’t expect it to be any other way,” the Chancellor added.
Given Trump’s critical stance towards Europe, there has been speculation in recent months that the President could also withdraw US soldiers from Germany. Merz did not say whether Trump had promised that the US contingent would remain the same.
Merz added that in the conversation before the NATO summit in Ankara in July, they discussed how joint deterrence could be better organized in the future. The Chancellor did not give any details. Trump acknowledged “that the federal government has taken a certain lead in strengthening the European pillar of NATO.” Merz added: “The United States respects Germany. They respect that we are investing heavily in our own conventional capabilities.”
Ukraine still important
The Chancellor also pointed out that efforts to end the war in Ukraine should not be lost sight of. There are too many “bad guys” in this world, he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump assured that his diplomatic efforts to end the war were high on his list of priorities. There is “enormous hatred” between Russian President Putin and his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelensky.