Trump and Merz: Departure or step back for Germany's security?

Trump and Merz: Departure or step back for Germany's security?

The relationship between the USA and Germany is once again the focus, especially with regard to Donald Trump's critical position to Angela Merkel's politics and the current developments in NATO. Victor Davis Hanson, a military historian and advisor to the Republican camp, commented on a recent meeting between Trump and the new CDU chairman Friedrich Merz. He found that Trump's view of Germany is realistic, but mostly positive and, above all, focused on war policy and trade.

Trump cannot approve of various aspects of German government policy. This includes open boundaries and the consequences of illegal immigration, which he considers problematic. He also expressed concerns about the fixation of Germany on green energy and their influence on the competitiveness of German industries. Another critical topic is the non-compliance with the NATO goal, which prescribes defense spending of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), which Trump feels insufficient.

north stream 2 and energy security

A central concern of Trump is the Baltic Seepeline Nord Stream 2, which he sees as a problem for European energy security. In the past, he had urgently warned the European heads of state and government against dependence on Russian energy. His government has therefore intensified a sanction strategy against the project. These threats have already triggered concern among companies such as Uniper, which are involved in the construction of the pipeline.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig and the Federal Foreign Office in Germany have rejected these US threats as unacceptable and emphasized that pressure on European companies is not accepted.

NATO editions and German defense policy

In the context of NATO editions, the new federal government plans a significant increase in defense spending. The new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that the Bundeswehr make the Bundeswehr the strongest army in Europe. Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul has announced that the defense expenditure is currently being raised from around 2 to 5 percent of GDP.

This step would mean that Germany rises to a leader in Europe in defense spending. Wade phulic proposes a division of expenses: 3.5 percent should be spent on classic defense spending and 1.5 percent for militarily usable infrastructure. In the event of implementation of these plans, Germany would spend around 225 billion euros on defense annually. This is in accordance with Trump's demand for higher NATO editions.

Trump urges 5 percent and sees the possibility of a compromise that could include a stronger crediting of expenses for military-usable infrastructure. However, a large part of the NATO countries, such as Italy, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, have not yet reached the existing 2 percent goal.

The relationship between America and Germany remains tense, especially with regard to Trump's earlier criticism of Merkel's policy, which he interprets as a setback for US Germany relationships. A central concern remains the balance between American interests and the autonomous decisions of Germany in foreign policy.

It remains to be seen whether the new developments under Merz can stabilize long -term relationships between the two nations. The clear direction in defense policy will undoubtedly also have an impact on future cooperation.

For more information, visit t-online , Merkur , or Merkur .