Sharp response from Germany to Trump: We are doubling the defense budget

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demonstrated a determined stance to increase Europe's defense capacity in response to US President Donald Trump's criticisms regarding the imbalance in financial burdens and expenditures within the NATO alliance. Speaking at a joint press conference with the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in Berlin, Merz announced that despite Trump's claims of a 'one-sided' relationship, Germany aims to meet costs by fully doubling its defense budget within four years. Merz emphasized that this move is the biggest step Germany has ever taken in the defense field and that they are in intense coordination among European countries to contribute to the security of NATO, especially the European wing.

Prime Minister Merz stated that they are aware of their responsibilities as the largest member state of the European Union and prove this with concrete actions, expressing that the security of the Baltic countries is completely intertwined with Germany's security. Merz, who said he would bring these issues to the agenda in the talks to be held in Ankara next week and share the increase in defense expenditures with concrete data without exaggeration, reiterated his promise to continue contributing to NATO's defense power both in rhetoric and in action.

One of the important agenda items of the meeting was the plan to lift a legal ban that would pave the way for the deployment of nuclear weapons in Lithuania. Evaluating the issue, the German Chancellor stated that this decision is primarily an internal political choice of Lithuania, but it is the most concrete indicator of how serious the threat originating from Russia is perceived and the country's level of preparedness for self-defense. Merz drew attention to the strategic importance of this step to be taken to strengthen the security architecture of the Baltic region.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda emphasized that the step his country plans to take should not be interpreted as aggression or a provocation to increase tensions in the region, but that it is a part of a defense strategy entirely aimed at deterrence. Nauseda expressed that they are pleased to be part of the nuclear deterrent shield offered by NATO and that they aim to remove legal obstacles to ensure this, stating that they want to reach a position where they can use all necessary defense tools in case of an attack.

These developments emerged immediately after Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the 'one-sided' burden of the US within the alliance by sharing a graph criticizing NATO expenditures on his social media account. Contrary to Trump's claims that the US's other allies do not contribute enough, Germany and the Baltic countries responded to the US by increasing their defense budgets and strengthening deterrence measures. This dynamic reveals efforts to achieve both financial and strategic alignment among allies at a time when tensions are rising on NATO's eastern flank.