Despite the visibly cooler relationship between Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and U.S. President Donald Trump, the German government reportedly remains committed to purchasing Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States.
Speaking to “Die Welt”, the government’s Transatlantic Coordinator, Metin Hakverdi, stated that if the acquisition of Tomahawks were solely a financial matter, Trump would agree immediately. Hakverdi reported that he heard differing accounts in Washington: some views characterized the previous cancellation as an emotional decision by the President, while others suggested Trump was using the topic as a bargaining chip, even alleging that the missile stockpiles were empty and production capacities were depleted.
Nevertheless, even amid the recent political strain between the two figures, Germany’s overall investments in its own defense are still viewed favorably by the U.S. The commitment is exemplified by Germany’s plans to deploy a mine-sweeping vessel into the Mediterranean, which could potentially be utilized in the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict in Iran. Hakverdi noted that Washington highly values the fact that Germany has already moved to expand its mine-clearing capabilities southeast, into its own maritime operational areas. “The US side is monitoring this very closely” he added.
Regarding the strong reaction from Trump-which followed Merz’s criticisms earlier this month-Hakverdi clarified that Washington fundamentally views this outburst as a personal disappointment for the President, rather than a major geopolitical shift. However, the SPD politician stressed that this personal dispute does not change the fact that Germany is meeting, and even exceeding, the necessary security policy requirements from the American perspective. He pointed out that the NATO summit in Ankara at the beginning of July represents a key future opportunity to highlight Germany’s considerable contributions to the alliance.