Relations between Washington and Berlin have suffered another setback. The US President's special envoy, Richard Grenell, sharply criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stating that the United States cannot trust his words. This dispute comes at a time of increasing tension between the administration of President Donald Trump and the German government over issues such as NATO, defense spending, and American commentary on German domestic politics.

"It is clear that we cannot trust Merz's words. He says one thing in Berlin and something else in Washington," Grenell wrote on the social media platform X, according to the TASS agency. He added that, in his opinion, the German Chancellor is upset by American pressure for Germany to fulfill its commitments within NATO. At the same time, Grenell criticized some German media outlets, which he believes do not sufficiently question Merz's inconsistent approach.

The dispute over German defense spending has a longer history. Donald Trump repeatedly criticized European members of NATO because, in his opinion, they rely too heavily on American security guarantees. In contrast, Merz emphasized in July that Germany is significantly increasing its defense budget and aims to reach expenditures of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2029. At the same time, NATO members agreed at a summit in The Hague that by 2035, they would allocate a total of five percent of GDP to defense and related security spending.

The tension between Trump and Merz has intensified in recent days due to German domestic politics. Trump publicly welcomed the electoral success of the Alternative for Germany party in Saxony-Anhalt and criticized German migration policy. Berlin reacted negatively, and the German government emphasized that foreign politicians should not interfere in German elections. Subsequently, Merz postponed a planned phone call with Trump, although the government did not officially state the reason.

Grenell's attack is therefore not an isolated statement but another example of deteriorating relations between two key NATO members. Grenell himself knows the German environment well – from 2018 to 2020, he served as the US Ambassador in Berlin and was already known for his unusually sharp public statements regarding German politics.

Jaroslav Holý