German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would not give up on working with US President Donald Trump, despite a recent spat over the war in Iran.
Merz sought to downplay tensions with Trump, arguing that the US decision to pull 5,000 troops from bases in Germany was not surprising and should not be seen as retaliation.
Criticism of the US-Israeli war against Iran from Merz and other European leaders has clearly aggravated Trump, who responded with angry comments.
Merz said the US decision on troops had 'no connection' with the recent disagreements.
He also confirmed that a planned deployment of US long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany was being called off, citing depleted arsenals due to the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
Despite their differences, Merz insisted that he still shared Trump's goal of ensuring Iran never obtains an atomic weapon.
Merz remains convinced that the Americans are important partners for Germany and the North Atlantic alliance.
