Washington, 4 March 2026 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump has assured German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that the United States intends to maintain its troop presence in Germany.

"[Trump] not just today, but once again assured me that the United States intends to maintain its military presence in Germany," Merz said on Tuesday in Washington after a meeting with Trump at the White House. "This is good news, but I didn't expect anything different," the chancellor added.

In light of Trump's critical stance towards Europe, there had been speculation in recent months that he might withdraw US troops from Germany. Whether Trump has promised that the US contingent will remain at its current level, Merz did not say.

Merz added that in the conversation ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara in July, they discussed how to better organize joint deterrence in the future. The German chancellor did not provide details.

Trump acknowledged "that the German government has also taken a certain leadership role in strengthening the European pillar of NATO," Merz said, adding: "The United States respects Germany. They respect that we are investing massively in our own conventional capability."

Photo: EPA