Germany’s Merz defends NATO funding after Trump says ‘ridiculous’ | Donald Trump News

The back-and-forth on defense spending comes as NATO leaders meet in Ankara next week.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended his country’s defense spending on NATO, while US President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism of the alliance’s members.

The statement on Friday came as NATO leaders are expected to meet next week in Ankara. Trump has criticized the bloc’s political spending throughout the political campaign, calling the amount “absurd” and “one-sided” in his latest Social Truth column on the issue.

In one post, Trump said Germany’s spending was “much lower” between 2014 and 2025 than the US or other NATO allies, which he also called “Stupid!”

Asked about the comment, Merz said Germany would increase its defense spending over four years.

“This is the biggest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defense capabilities. For this reason, we have no reason to evade anyone,” Merz said.

“We will say this, humbly, and we are doing this as a major member of the European Union, we have a responsibility to Europe,” he said.

US-European relations have been strained throughout Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021 and his term beginning in January 2025.

However, despite rejecting the president during his first four years in office, a number of European leaders have sought a better way for the president this time.

At the behest of the US, NATO leaders agreed to spend 3.5 percent of their countries’ GDP on defense, such as weapons and the military, ⁠ by 2035, an increase from the original goal that was set at 2 percent of its GDP.

However, relations have begun to falter over a number of issues, including Trump’s pledge to control the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland. Denmark is a member of NATO.

The US-Israel conflict in Iran has also proven to be a major problem, with Trump launching the conflict without consulting his European allies who have dealt with the fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump was repeated condemned The Allies of Europe for not joining the war.

Merz, meanwhile, insulted the president by saying that in April the US was “humiliated” by Iran. Trump also said that the US will withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.

Speaking on Friday, Merz said Germany was close to meeting its NATO commitments.

“We will reach the 3.5 percent set in The Hague at the beginning of 2029,” he told reporters, “before the last agreed deadline”.