German Chancellor Merz's sharp response to Trump: We are doubling our defense budget

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded to US President Donald Trump's criticisms regarding burden-sharing within the NATO alliance by holding a joint press conference with the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in Berlin. This meeting stood out as a move to reduce tension in transatlantic relations by emphasizing tight coordination and solidarity on security issues in Europe. Merz found the opportunity to defend Germany's fiscal commitments with concrete data by refuting Trump's claims that the US is unilaterally bearing the financial burden. This joint declaration, which also included the leaders of the Baltic countries, demonstrated Europe's determination to increase its own defense capacity.

Chancellor Merz stated that the German government is proceeding with clarity in radically increasing defense spending and that they have reached their target of doubling the country's defense budget within the next four years. Emphasizing that they are making the greatest effort to date to strengthen Germany's defense capacity in line with the decisions taken at the NATO 2025 Summit in The Hague, Merz expressed that they are aware of their responsibilities as the largest member state of the European Union and are doing their utmost to contribute to NATO's defense, especially Europe's defense security. In this context, he clearly conveyed that they are transparent with NATO allies and have nothing to hide in their defense investments.

Emphasizing the close cooperation established with the Baltic countries, Merz noted that the security of these countries is as important as Germany's own security and that the bonds between them are concrete not only in words but also in actions. Furthermore, Merz's mention that he would bring these spending figures to the table in Ankara without exaggeration and honestly highlighted the strategic importance of the dialogue with Turkey. His coordination meetings by inviting European leaders to Berlin in recent weeks reinforced the perception of unity and solidarity formed on the European front to stand against Donald Trump's threatening expressions.

The most striking and strategic dimension of the meeting was the bringing up of the issue of lifting bans on stationing nuclear weapons in Lithuania. Chancellor Merz expressed the view that although this step is a decision directly related to Lithuania's domestic politics, it demonstrates the seriousness of the military threat stemming from Russia and deterrence forces against Moscow. The tension on Europe's eastern front is leading to the re-examination of nuclear deterrence and the hardening of NATO's defense doctrine. This situation brings with it concerns that a security climate reminiscent of the Cold War era is slowly being rebuilt in Europe.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, regarding the issue, argued that any step his country would take aims at legitimate defense rights and deterrence rather than aggressive intent, and would not cause an increase in tension. Stating that they are pleased to be part of the nuclear deterrence shield offered by NATO, Nauseda expressed that they will not hesitate to use all deterrence means at their disposal by removing legal barriers when necessary. These statements signal that the European front is preparing to exhibit a more autonomous and harsh stance militarily in response to Donald Trump's social media posts criticizing the US's unjust burden within NATO.