Merz hits back at Trump's 'ridiculous' defence spending criticism
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended his country's NATO defence spending after US President Donald Trump criticised the efforts of alliance members, calling them "ridiculous" and "one-sided".
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Merz said Germany was doubling its defence budget within four years, a move he described as "the greatest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defence capabilities".
"In this respect, we have no reason to shy away from anyone," Merz said, adding that Germany was acting as the European Union's largest member state and bearing "a responsibility within Europe".
The exchange comes as NATO leaders are set to meet in Ankara, Turkey, next week. The meeting follows fresh criticism from Trump, who posted on Truth Social that the NATO defence spending relationship was not "reciprocal" and that it was "ridiculous for the USA to continue along this one sided path". In another post, Trump claimed Germany's spending was "MUCH LOWER" between 2014 and 2025 than the US or other NATO allies.
Germany's defence spending is slated to rise to 3.5% of GDP by 2029, according to Merz. In 2025, Germany spent 2.4% of GDP on defence, exceeding the longstanding 2% benchmark, but still trailing most NATO members, with Poland and the Baltic States leading in spending as a share of GDP.
Last year, NATO leaders agreed during a summit in the Netherlands to boost spending on defence and security to 5% of GDP by 2035, an increase from the previous goal of 2%. This year's summit is also expected to reaffirm an "ironclad commitment" to collective defence, according to Reuters news agency reports.
Merz also said he wanted NATO to take on "a more European character", reducing "one-sided transatlantic dependencies". He recalled that Germany plans to raise its defence spending to 3.5% of national GDP by 2029 and said European nations would pool resources together, adding that he did not want unilateral national measures within NATO.
The German cabinet held its meeting at the Federal Ministry of Defense for the second time, with security issues and strengthening defence capabilities dominating the agenda. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attended the meeting as a guest.
Merz also noted that Germany's defence spending had increased to 124 billion euros in 2026, doubling since 2022. He said these efforts were not "to do someone a favor, but because they are required for our defense and security".
The chancellor has repeatedly emphasised the German government's ambition to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe.
Meanwhile, Trump's criticism is not new. He has decried defence spending by NATO members throughout his political career, and US-European ties have been strained during his terms in office. However, several European leaders have sought a more amenable approach to the president this time around.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's comments come as NATO leaders prepare to gather in Ankara, where Europeans aim to set aside differences with Trump and show they are stepping up to defend the continent.