German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that US President Donald Trump has realized that the conflict over Iran is not a NATO war.
“I think he has realized that this is not a NATO war“, the German prime minister said at a discussion organized by the FAZ newspaper. Merz believes that the US administration “agreed with this“.
“What Trump is doing now is not de-escalation and an attempt to reach a peaceful solution, but a serious escalation with an open end“, Merz noted. He reported that his phone call with the US president last week “was not without controversy“. He is said to have told Trump: “If you want us to help you, ask us in advance, much earlier, not later through the newspapers.“
“We simply cannot accept this approach,“ Merz said. He added that Trump has repeatedly said he does not need NATO.