Germany’s Merz defends NATO spending after Trump calls it ‘ridiculous’
Key takeaways
- Back and forth over defence spending comes as NATO leaders set to meet in Ankara next week.
- The statement on Friday came as NATO leaders were set to meet next week in Ankara.
- In one post, Trump said Germany’s spending was “MUCH LOWER” between 2014 and 2025 than the US or other NATO allies, which he again called “Ridiculous!”
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Back and forth over defence spending comes as NATO leaders set to meet in Ankara next week.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has again defended the country's NATO defence spending [Omer Messinger/Getty]By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 3 Jul 20263 Jul 2026German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended his country’s NATO defence spending, shortly after US President Donald Trump re-upped his criticism of alliance members.
The statement on Friday came as NATO leaders were set to meet next week in Ankara. Trump has decried defence spending by members of the bloc throughout his political career, calling the balance of spending “ridiculous” and “one-sided” in his latest Truth Social posts on the issue earlier this week.