U.S. President Trump and German Chancellor Scholz (left) during a summit at the White House in early March [EPA=Yonhap News Archive] 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has been caught in a strong backlash of U.S. troop withdrawal from Germany and increased auto tariffs after strongly criticizing the U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East war, has stepped in to resolve the situation by emphasizing that the United States is Germany's most important ally.

According to Reuters and other news agencies, Chancellor Merz said in an interview with the local public broadcaster ARD, which aired on the night of the 3rd (local time), "We have to accept that the U.S. President has a different view than us. However, that does not change my conviction that the United States is our most important partner."

Merz stated that despite the difference in views on the Iran war, he will continue to cooperate with President Trump, saying, "I will not give up on working on the transatlantic relationship. Also, I will not stop working with President Trump."

His remarks came amidst an unprecedented freeze in bilateral relations, as President Trump responded to Merz's criticism of the Iran war with a reduction in U.S. troops stationed in Germany and an increase in tariffs on automobiles from the European Union (EU).

On March 27th, Merz visited a gymnasium (middle and high school) in western Germany and, during a discussion with students, strongly criticized the United States for entering negotiations to end the war with Iran without a clear strategy, and for being humiliated by Iran as a whole.

In response, President Trump repeatedly attacked Merz, expressing his displeasure, saying, "Focus more on fixing your country, which is a mess, including immigration and energy issues," and "The German Chancellor should spend more time ending the Russia-Ukraine war (in which he was completely incompetent!)."

 Ramstein Air Base, Germany [AFP=Yonhap News Archive]

President Trump eventually ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany within 6 to 12 months and announced a 10 percentage point increase in tariffs on passenger cars and trucks produced in the EU, from 15% to 25%, sparking speculation that retaliation against European allies who were uncooperative regarding the Iran war was beginning in earnest.

Given that the automotive industry is one of Germany's key industries, it was also interpreted that the tariff increase foreshadowed by President Trump played a significant role in the conflict with Chancellor Merz.

In his interview that day, Merz drew a line, stating, "There is no connection whatsoever," when asked if the U.S. plan to reduce its forces in Germany was related to the conflict between the two leaders.

He continued, "Nothing I have heard in recent days is new. While there are some exaggerated aspects, it is not surprising, and there is no need to view it as retaliation," showing a response that tried to downplay the situation.

However, German news agency dpa pointed out that immediately after his meeting with President Trump at the White House in early March, Merz had expressed a completely different stance from his remarks on this day, stating that President Trump had "reaffirmed that the U.S. would maintain its forces in Germany."

Dpa also reported that Merz admitted that the German Federal Armed Forces were not prepared to fill the vacuum that would be created by the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Merz also said that the possibility of deploying Tomahawk medium-range missiles to Germany, as promised by the U.S. during former President Joe Biden's administration in 2024, was low.

"Objectively speaking, there is very little likelihood that the United States will provide this type of weapon at present. If I am not mistaken, it is because the United States does not have sufficient quantities of its own," he explained, citing a lack of surplus in U.S. arsenals due to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

At the 2024 NATO summit, former President Biden had promised to deploy conventionally-armed medium-range weapons capable of reaching Russia, including Tomahawks with a range of 2,500 kilometers, to Germany by 2026 for the first time since the Cold War.

Although President Trump had not publicly expressed support or opposition to former President Biden's decision since taking office for his second term, the U.S. Department of Defense, as part of its plan to reduce U.S. forces in Germany, also withdrew plans to deploy medium-range missiles to Germany, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and others the previous day.

Meanwhile, German ministers are also making efforts to mend bilateral relations, which have become strained due to the sharp exchange between the leaders of the two countries.

According to AFP, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, urged the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the abandonment of its nuclear program, emphasizing that Germany is a close ally of the United States.

After the call, Baerbock posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she demanded that Araghchi lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear weapons program, adding, "Germany has made it clear that it supports a negotiated solution."

She further stated, "As a close ally of the United States, we share the same goal as demanded by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio: Iran must abandon nuclear weapons in a complete and verifiable manner, and the Strait of Hormuz must be opened immediately," consciously highlighting the U.S.

AFP interpreted Baerbock's remarks that day as part of the efforts by German ministers, including Baerbock, to de-escalate tensions stemming from the recent war of nerves between the leaders of the two countries over the past few days.