Merz congratulates Trump on 250th anniversary
Merz talks to Trump on the phone on 250th anniversary of US independence. They also discuss the upcoming NATO summit.
Berlin (dpa) - In a phone call, Germany’s Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has congratulated US President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said that Merz had conveyed warm congratulations on the upcoming anniversary and highlighted the special bond between Germans and Americans. This Saturday, the United States of America is celebrating its Declaration of Independence, which was signed on 4 July 1776.
According to Kornelius, the chancellor and Trump also spoke about the NATO summit in Ankara next week, ahead of which Trump had once again expressed criticism of Germany’s contributions to the defence alliance. “The federal chancellor stressed that Germany was taking more responsibility for security in the Euro-Atlantic area,” said Kornelius.
On Friday, Merz had already publicly rejected Trump’s harsh criticism. Germany was in the process of doubling its defence budget within the space of four years, he said. “This is the greatest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defence capabilities. In this respect, we have no need to shy away from anyone.”
