Merz says Germany will not limit US use of military bases

Germany will not restrict US forces' access to military bases in the country, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday, dismissing speculation of possible retaliation by the Trump administration.

At a news conference in Berlin, Merz said he stressed the need to preserve NATO unity during a recent phone call with US President Donald Trump, despite differences over the Iran conflict.

“We discussed neither a withdrawal nor a restriction of the use of the military infrastructure maintained by the US forces in Germany,” he told reporters. “Stationing agreements are in place, and the German government has no reason to question whether US forces have operated within those agreements in recent weeks.”

He added that Trump did not raise any plan to withdraw American troops stationed in Germany.

The remarks follow US media reports that Washington is considering relocating forces from NATO countries seen as unhelpful during the Iran war to more supportive nations. The Wall Street Journal reported the move could penalize allies viewed as insufficiently cooperative with the US and Israel.

In recent weeks, US officials have sharply criticized several European partners—including the UK, Spain and France—for restricting military movements or denying overflight rights. Although Germany imposed no such limits, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius drew strong criticism from Washington after saying, “This is not our war; we did not start it.”

Merz warned that disagreements over the US and Israel’s war with Iran must not undermine the alliance.

“During our phone call yesterday, we also discussed the future of NATO,” he said. “There is currently no substitute for this alliance, and I have a strong interest in preserving it and developing it further together with the American president.”

“We want to ensure that this war, which has become a transatlantic stress test, does not further strain relations between the US and its European NATO partners,” Merz added. “I do not want a split within NATO. NATO is a guarantor of our security, especially in Europe.”

Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration with NATO’s response to the Iran conflict. In a Truth Social post after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, he wrote: “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again.”

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt earlier said Trump believes NATO “was tested, and they failed” during the conflict. “It’s quite sad that NATO turned its back on the American people over the course of the last six weeks,” she said, “when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense.”