German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken aim at US President Donald Trump's national security strategy, criticizing the administration's portrayal of European allies as weak and its tacit support for far-right parties. The US strategy, released last week, has sparked tensions between Washington and Brussels, with the EU's most populous nation pushing back against what it sees as an attempt to undermine European democracy.
Merz, who has been at the forefront of Germany's military buildup since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, believes that Europe must become more independent from the US in terms of security policy. He dismisses the notion that European democracy needs saving, arguing instead that if it were failing, countries like Germany could handle it on their own.
The German chancellor's comments come after a speech by US Vice President JD Vance earlier this year, which Merz said had "set off something" in him and inspired Germany to increase its defense spending. In response to Trump's strategy, Merz is advocating for greater cooperation with European partners, emphasizing the need for mutually beneficial relationships rather than relying solely on Washington.
Merz's government has been working to loosen strict rules on debt, allowing it to boost military spending. The US has urged NATO allies to increase their defense spending, and Germany has agreed to meet this target. However, Merz is cautioning that relying too heavily on the US will not be in anyone's interest, highlighting the importance of partnering with Europe and other nations.
Merz, who has been at the forefront of Germany's military buildup since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, believes that Europe must become more independent from the US in terms of security policy. He dismisses the notion that European democracy needs saving, arguing instead that if it were failing, countries like Germany could handle it on their own.
The German chancellor's comments come after a speech by US Vice President JD Vance earlier this year, which Merz said had "set off something" in him and inspired Germany to increase its defense spending. In response to Trump's strategy, Merz is advocating for greater cooperation with European partners, emphasizing the need for mutually beneficial relationships rather than relying solely on Washington.
Merz's government has been working to loosen strict rules on debt, allowing it to boost military spending. The US has urged NATO allies to increase their defense spending, and Germany has agreed to meet this target. However, Merz is cautioning that relying too heavily on the US will not be in anyone's interest, highlighting the importance of partnering with Europe and other nations.
First Trump comes out with his national security strategy and starts dissin' European allies like they're weak, and now Merz is all like "hold up, let me set you straight". I mean, can't we all just get along? 
Germany's got its own military buildup goin' on since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and now they're talkin' about takin' matters into their own hands. It's like, yeah, European democracy isn't the issue here, it's about becomin' more independent from the US.
His strategy is all about stirrin' up trouble and causin' a scene. I'm so over his antics. Meanwhile, Merz is like the voice of reason, talkin' about mutually beneficial relationships and not relyin' on one guy's ego. Let's get behind this, EU! 
We can do better than this.
. Germany's military buildup since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 was a major step forward, and it's about time the rest of Europe caught up 
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, trying to shift blame onto EU countries instead of owning up to own problems. Germany needs to take care of its own security, we don't need Uncle Sam bailing us out all the time 
. EU should be leading the way on defense, not playing catch-up with US 
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. Like, I get it, Germany wants to be more independent, but can't we all just get along? 
And what's with the far-right party thing? That's just a whole other can of worms 
. Anyway, I guess it's good that Merz is speaking up, but can we please just have a more nuanced conversation about this stuff? 
. He's literally speaking truth to power, you know? The US needs to chill out about portraying European allies as weak - it's just gonna cause more drama between them and Brussels 
. It's like, when everyone works together and trusts each other, that's when you get real progress 
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. We need to work together with our allies to address common problems and share the burden. That being said, I do think we need to be more proactive in shaping our own security policy and not just follow the US lead.
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. It's like, we used to be these close allies where we would always stick together no matter what, but now it feels like we're more rivals 
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. The fact is, we need to take responsibility for our own security and stop relying too heavily on the US. By working together with European partners, we can build stronger, more resilient relationships that benefit everyone 
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. We need to find our own rhythm and work together on our own terms, not just follow the lead of another powerful nation 
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if germany's really gonna boost its military spending just 'cause us vance said so... what's their endgame? they're already increasing defense spending, seems like they wanna be taken seriously as a major player in europe, but is it because they want to counterbalance the us or challenge russian influence in eastern eurasia 
. It's time for Europe to step up and take care of its own security needs. Germany's military buildup is a great example of this 
. Plus, it's awesome that his government is working on loosening debt rules so they can boost their military spending 
. We should totally be supporting more European leaders like Merz who are all about cooperation and mutual benefit 
It just seems like we're all stuck in this cycle of one-upmanship – "we need more defense spending" -> "no, you need to do more" etc. Meanwhile, the real question should be how we balance security with cooperation and mutual benefit. I'm not saying Trump's strategy is perfect, but maybe instead of attacking him, Merz could have suggested some concrete alternatives? 
i feel like hes got a point tho europe has always been like "we dont need ur help" anyway didnt they have some kinda budget thingy that allowed germany 2 increase their military spending? 
didnt the president from usa say somethin about europe bein weak tho? 
on a more serious note tho, Germany needs to step up its defense game and stop relying on the US for everything. it's time for Europe to be more independent, like a big ol' military strongman 
. I'm all for greater cooperation with European partners, and I think this is where Germany's military buildup comes into play - it sets an example for other countries to follow 
. We need more collective defense, not just one country doing its thing 