German chancellor downplays row with Trump after troop drawdown announced

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07:50

German chancellor downplays row with Trump after troop drawdown announced

Issued on: 04/05/2026 - 10:59

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he must accept that President Donald Trump does not share his opinions in order to work with the United ​States within NATO, ‌but stressed there was no link between their rift and ⁠a planned troop drawdown. Merz dismissed suggestions that his criticism of U.S. war planning in Iran had sparked Washington's ‌Friday announcement that the U.S. would reduce its military presence in Germany, ⁠its largest European base, by 5,000 soldiers, and repeated his commitment to the transatlantic alliance. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Philip Turle tells us more.

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