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Merz Declares Unconditional Transatlantic Friendship Over as 5,000 Troops Leave

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 6:14 AM UTC · How we work

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared the era of unconditional transatlantic friendship over for Germany.
Merz blamed U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for souring U.S.-German relations and warned against election interference.
Merz defended Germany’s higher defense spending and continued support for Ukraine despite a “structural crisis” in its economy.
The Pentagon announced withdrawal of about 5,000 of the over 36,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany.

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Story summary

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared the era of unconditional transatlantic friendship over for Germany.
Merz blamed U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for souring U.S.-German relations and warned against election interference.
Merz defended Germany’s higher defense spending and continued support for Ukraine despite a “structural crisis” in its economy.
The Pentagon announced withdrawal of about 5,000 of the over 36,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany.