Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has once again escalated tensions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, criticising him in a social media post and urging him to focus on domestic priorities rather than commenting on United States foreign policy.
The remarks come amid growing friction between Washington and Berlin over NATO commitments, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Merz has recently been more openly critical of US handling of the Iran situation, while Trump has repeatedly questioned European defence responsibilities and NATO burden-sharing. These differences have contributed to a series of public exchanges between the two leaders in recent weeks.
What Trump said in his post
In his social media post, Trump directly addressed Merz and said: "He should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine and fixing his broken country, especially immigration and energy, and less time concerning himself with the Iran war."
Trump used the post to urge the German Chancellor to prioritise domestic issues such as immigration and energy policy, while also suggesting that Merz should focus on the Russia-Ukraine war rather than commenting on US foreign policy decisions.
Earlier remarks by Friedrich Merz
The latest exchange follows earlier comments by Merz, who had criticised aspects of the US approach to the Iran conflict. He reportedly suggested that Washington was being "humiliated" by Tehran due to slow diplomatic progress in managing tensions linked to the US-Israel-Iran situation.
This criticism appears to have prompted Trump's latest response, expanding the disagreement beyond foreign policy into Germany's domestic governance and policy direction.
US military presence in Germany and NATO concerns
The dispute also comes shortly after Trump announced a review of the US military presence in Germany. Germany hosts several key American military installations and remains a central NATO ally in Europe.
Any potential reduction in US troop presence has raised concerns among European allies about the future structure of NATO and broader transatlantic defence cooperation. The US presence in Germany has long been a key part of NATO's security framework.
Broader implications for US-Europe relations
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies over defence spending and burden-sharing and has previously expressed support for reducing US military deployments abroad, including in Germany.
The latest comments highlight continuing tensions between Washington and European partners at a time of global instability, particularly due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and wider Middle East conflicts involving Iran.
The exchange underscores growing diplomatic strain as allies debate security responsibilities and long-term strategic commitments within NATO.
(With AP inputs)