Merz downplays rift with Washington despite US troop drawdown

Author: aljazeera.comPublished on: May 3, 2026Country: Germany

Politics

Merz downplays rift with Washington despite US troop drawdown

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sought to downplay tensions with the United States following the announcement of a troop withdrawal. Merz stated that the withdrawal is unrelated to his criticisms of Donald Trump's strategy in Iran, where he described US actions as 'humiliating'. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal of around 5,000 American soldiers, reducing the total number of US troops in Germany by about 14%.

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