Yasin Gungor
30 April 2026•Update: 30 April 2026
US President Donald Trump on Thursday urged German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to focus on "fixing his broken country" and ending the Russia-Ukraine war rather than critiquing US efforts to neutralize the Iranian nuclear threat.
“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken country, especially immigration and energy,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
The president asserted that Merz should spend "less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran nuclear threat."
Trump argued that his own efforts to neutralize Tehran’s nuclear ambitions are making the world, "including Germany, a safer place."
Berlin did not immediately react to Trump's latest statements.
Trump's latest attacks builds up on his earlier remarks following Merz's criticism of the US president’s alleged lack of exit strategy in the Iran war, which started on Feb. 28 and is currently on hold after Pakistan mediated a ceasefire.
After remarks from Merz, Trump had accused the German leader of finding it acceptable for Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.
On Wednesday, Trump said Washington is reconsidering its military footprint in Germany, with a decision expected shortly.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul discussed the security situation in the Middle East and maritime freedom in the Strait of Hormuz in a phone call.
Merz on Thursday called on Iran to return to "constructive negotiations" to end the regional war and affirmed his commitment to a reliable partnership despite the US president's criticisms. "We are acting in the shared transatlantic interest, and we are doing so with mutual respect.”
