BERLIN
Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday sharply criticized US President Donald Trump for dismissing NATO allies' contributions in Afghanistan, where German soldiers fought alongside American forces.
In an address to the German parliament on foreign policy, Merz stressed that Germany and its European allies remain committed to NATO while taking concrete steps to increase their contributions and strengthen the alliance.
"After Sept. 11, 2001, we went to Afghanistan alongside our American partners as part of the NATO mission Enduring Freedom and provided the country with greater stability and security for many years," Merz told lawmakers.
"Fifty-nine German soldiers lost their lives during the almost 20-year deployment in Afghanistan. Well over 100 were injured, some seriously, in combat and attacks. We will not allow this mission, which we undertook also in the interest of our ally, the US, to be disparaged and denigrated today," he said.
Despite tensions over Trump's recent remarks, Merz emphasized NATO's continued importance as a defense alliance, calling it "the best guarantee" for freedom, peace, and security on both sides of the Atlantic.
"We will therefore always extend a hand of cooperation to the United States," he said, adding that as democracies, European nations must be regarded as "partners and allies, not subordinates" to the United States.
In a Fox News interview last week, President Trump questioned the value of NATO allies' contributions in Afghanistan, claiming the US never needed their military support and suggesting that allied forces avoided combat operations during the 20-year mission.
His remarks drew sharp criticism from European allies whose militaries suffered significant casualties while fighting alongside American forces. Germany lost 59 soldiers during its nearly two-decade deployment, while Britain and Denmark also sustained combat deaths and injuries.
The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks remain the only time NATO has invoked Article 5 of its founding treaty, which states that an armed attack against one member shall be considered an attack against all. In response, NATO's European allies deployed thousands of troops to Afghanistan in a show of transatlantic solidarity.