Germany seeks 'close dialogue' with US: German FM

BERLIN

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on May 4 said that Berlin wanted to "enter into close dialogue" with the United States following the announced withdrawal of American troops stationed in Germany.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that he intended to drastically reduce the number of American soldiers stationed in Germany, on top of a 5,000-troop reduction announced by the Pentagon.

"We need to enter into close dialogue with the United States to clarify what decision has actually been taken and what possibilities we have to exert influence," Wadephul said at a press conference with his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Gerapetritis.

"We must see this as a new call to develop our own capabilities more quickly and to make them available," the German foreign minister added, referring to the American plans.

"There is no other way... the overall context shows me that we must not overestimate isolated measures," he said.

The United States has announced that 5,000 soldiers will be transferred from American military bases in Germany.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday also appeared to confirm that the planned deployment of Tomahawk intermediate-range cruise missiles in Germany was no longer on the table, at least for the time being.

Wadephul and other German officials have in recent days sought to defuse a dispute between Trump and Merz, who had said that "the Americans obviously (had) no strategy" in Iran and that Tehran was "humiliating" the world's leading power.

Trump also indirectly targeted Germany and its significant automobile exports by announcing that he wanted to raise tariffs on vehicles imported from the European Union into the United States to 25 percent "next week".

The U.S. president has accused the EU of failing to respect the trade agreement concluded last summer, even though its ratification process has not yet been completed within the 27-member bloc.

Wadephul did not directly comment on Trump's latest remarks.