In unusually harsh words, US President Trump attacked German Chancellor Merz. "Instead of meddling in other things, let him take better care of his broken country", he wrote on Truth Social. What is the reason?
After his latest attack on Chancellor Merz, US President Trump added fuel to the fire: the Chancellor should "use most of his time to end the war between Russia and Ukraine", Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He accused the German Chancellor of having been "totally ineffective" so far regarding the war in Ukraine.
Instead of interfering in other matters, the chancellor should have put more effort into bringing order to her "broken country" - especially in the areas of migration and energy, the article also says.
The criticism of the US president comes just a day after he threatened to withdraw US troops from Germany. Trump has ordered an investigation into the matter and a decision is expected soon.
"He doesn't know what he's talking about"
The reason for the harsh words against Friedrich Merz was apparently the chancellor's statement during a discussion with students on Monday. There, he criticized the US actions against Iran and said that the initially planned quick solution "to the problem" never happened.
Merz also said that the US cannot end the war quickly, “because it is obvious that the Iranians are stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly do not have a convincing strategy for negotiating with them”. An entire nation – Merz also said – is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership.
The response from Washington was not long in coming and was unusually sharp: According to Trump, Merz is apparently willing to accept the fact that Iran has nuclear weapons. The Chancellor did not know what he was talking about. And further: "No wonder the situation in Germany is so bad, both economically and in other respects", Trump wrote in Truth Social.
Are relations still good?
Merz's reaction remained restrained. At a press conference in Berlin, he said that in his opinion his personal relations with the American president "remain unchanged good".
Until now, contacts between the two were indeed considered good. While the American president pursued a confrontational course against a number of European heads of government and state, he showed marked respect for Merz. Trump called the chancellor "a friend" and "an exceptional" politician. In the weeks since the start of the war in Iran, however, Merz gradually began to distance himself from Trump, which clearly angered the American president.