Friedrich Merz

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the American government that U.S. Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany.

We are closing an important strategic gap in our defense while simultaneously working to develop our own European systems and deploy them in Europe.

Merz says months of high-level talks with Canada's Mark Carney and Norway's PM were key to finalizing the trilateral defense agreements now expanding Germany's defense industry.

Germany ends sick leave by phone. Workers now need a medical certificate from day one, under Chancellor Merz.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: "We want to make NATO as a whole more European. We are reducing transatlantic dependencies."

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

At the moment, Germany is losing between 300 and 500 jobs every single day.

Every day, a double-digit number of companies file for insolvency.

That means we must now make sure we get out of this difficult situation quickly.

We need to ensure as soon as possible that jobs in Germany are secure again and that German companies are competitive both internationally and domestically.

German Chancellor Merz: U.S. military superiority does not give Iran a choice.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gifted Trump a German national team jersey for his 80th birthday.

The joint Franco-German fighter jet program is dead. Chancellor Merz and President Macron agreed to pull the plug after long-running disputes between the companies involved, per the German government.

German Chancellor Merz:

'Russia’s reckless drone incursion into Romania shows once again Russia’s willingness to escalate. Germany stands with our NATO Allies. The incident once again underscores the need for strong NATO posture on the Eastern flank. We are ready to defend every inch of Allied territory.'

German Chancellor Merz says Berlin is prepared to deploy military assets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but only if Iran agrees to negotiate.

Chancellor Merz:

Germany "strongly condemns" Iran's renewed strikes on the UAE.

Germany’s Chancellor Merz:

Iran has to engage again in negotiations with the US

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

A country like Switzerland has around 200 more working hours per year than Germany, and Switzerland is clearly doing better than we are.

German Chancellor Merz:

Iran must open the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz: "We are rearming in the truest sense of the word. We are strengthening ourselves."

Germany's Chancellor Merz: "I will not seek other majorities in the Bundestag than the ones we have today. I will not leave this country to the radicals."

German Chancellor Merz:

"Iran must come to the negotiating table. It must stop playing for time. It must no longer take the region and the entire world hostage. Its military nuclear program must be ended completely and forever, and there must be no further strikes against Israel and our partners in the region."

German Chancellor Merz:

"Jewish life in Germany is more threatened than it has been in a long time.

We are seeing a sharp rise in criminal offenses, assaults, and anti-Semitic graffiti.

We stand fully and without any restriction behind the Jewish women and men living in Germany."

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

"I will not give up on transatlantic relations. I will not give up on working with Donald Trump. What we're hearing now is not new, it's just more dramatic. The US regularly relocates its troops worldwide. There are still over 30,000 American soldiers in Germany."

German’s Merz:

“The United States is and will remain Germany‘s most important partner in the North Atlantic Alliance.

We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.”

Will German now help the U.S. with Iran?

Germany's Chancellor Merz on U.S. troop withdrawal:

It may be a bit exaggerated, but it’s nothing new. The Americans remain our most important partners in the North Atlantic alliance.

I will not give up on cooperation with Donald Trump. If you want us to help in such a conflict, then call us beforehand

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz:

"There is no connection" between the U.S. pulling forces from Germany and his relationship with the Trump White House. "The U.S. is the main partner in the NATO alliance, despite the differences of opinion."

German Chancellor Merz on Tomahawk missiles: "Objectively speaking, there is hardly any chance of getting weapons systems of this kind from the U.S."

German Chancellor Merz on Tomahawk missiles: "The Americans don't have enough themselves right now."

President Donald Trump is moving about 5,000 U.S. forces out of Germany, partly signaling discontent with Friedrich Merz’s commentary and European allies’ lack of support during Iran operations, CBS News reports.

Contributed by @AZ_Intel_.