According to U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had spoken with him about a number of “very large trade agreements”. Trump said that these deals were now being worked out, a statement he made on Tuesday in the Oval Office during the traditional press briefing, without providing further details.
Trump added that Merz had become a friend and that commercial ties with Germany were “great”. He claimed that they had successfully closed good deals.
During the press briefing the Chancellor offered a short spoken reply in which he assured the president that the United States would support the U.S. approach to Iran.
The meeting also focused largely on the situation with Iran. Trump said, “I thought they would attack first, and I didn’t want that to happen”. He reported that almost the entire Iranian military has been deactivated, noting that only “a few rockets” remain.
The president expressed criticism of NATO partner Spain, pointing out that Spain refuses to invest 5 % of its GDP in defense and would also deny U.S. aircraft the ability to launch attacks from its territory. Trump said, “We will terminate all trade relations with Spain”.
When asked about expectations for Germany, Trump appeared pleased. He said that Germany allows U.S. aircraft to take off and land, but does not expect Germany to send troops.
He placed high hopes on the new German chancellor, contrasting Merz with former chancellor Angela Merkel, whose migration policy he once again criticized.
When journalists asked how he intended to resolve the customs dispute with the EU, Trump was confident and said the tariffs had already made the United States “rich”.