President Donald Trump sharply criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a social media post Thursday morning, calling out the NATO ally for his lack of action on Ukraine and Iran.
"The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!" Trump wrote.
The comments come amid rising tensions between the United States and some NATO allies over both the war in Ukraine and the escalating confrontation with Iran.
Trump framed efforts to counter Iran's nuclear program as critical to global security and dismissed European criticism as counterproductive.
The remarks underscore long-standing frustration within the Trump administration over burden-sharing and alignment with NATO, particularly with Germany.
Trump has repeatedly pressed allies to boost defense spending and has warned he could scale back U.S. commitments if they do not.
Differences over Iran policy have added strain.
Several European governments favor a more cautious, diplomatic approach, going so far as to deny the U.S. use of their airspace, while Trump has backed more aggressive measures to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
The dispute also revives Trump's past threats to withdraw the U.S. from NATO or significantly reduce troop levels in Germany, a key hub for American forces in Europe.
European officials have warned such moves could weaken the alliance's deterrence posture, especially as Russia's war in Ukraine continues, highlighting deepening divisions over NATO's role and priorities.
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