From 2h
ago
04.01 EDT
Morning
opening: What were you saying, Mr Merz?
Jakub
Krupa
US
president Donald Trump threatened to reduce the number of troops deployed in
Germany last night, after chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week that the US
was being “humilitated” by Iran.
Trump
said the US was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in
Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time.”
Earlier
yesterday, he posted a separate criticism of Merz’s Germany, saying:
“The
Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a
Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear
Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran,
right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No
wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise! President
DONALD J. TRUMP”
His
comments come just hours after Trump’s phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin,
and – which is likely to be of significance - after Merz repeatedly criticised
Trump’s decision to start the Iran war and partially blamed it for Germany’s
worse than expected economic results.
At a
recent meeting with high school students, Merz said that the US was “being
humiliated” by Iran’s leadership through taking part in negotiations that come
to nothing, and that the war “is costing us a lot of money … and a lot of
economic strength.”
“This war
against Iran has a direct impact on our economic performance, and for that
reason it must be brought to an end as soon as possible,” he said.
Ouch.
He still
insisted that his relationship with Trump was good though, but not sure that’s
the case any more.
Let’s see
if we are going to hear a reaction from Germany today.
Elsewhere,
I will look out for comments on Trump’s phone call with Putin – including his
suggestions that Ukraine is “defeated” and that Putin was working on some sort
of temporary ceasefire.
It’s
Thursday, 30 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good
morning.
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