FEATURED COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

Germany Rejects Trump’s Claim It Owes NATO and US ‘Vast Sums’ for Defense

New Atlanticist
May 6, 2025

Is Merz’s double-take chancellor vote a sign of things to come in Germany?

By
Jörn Fleck and Jurek Wille

It took two rounds of voting in the Bundestag to elect Friedrich Merz chancellor, a sign of division unprecedented in modern German history.

Defense Policy
Elections

Germany Rejects Trump’s Claim It Owes NATO and US ‘Vast Sums’ for Defense

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Germany’s economy has gone from engine to anchor. Here’s what the next chancellor faces.

By
Piotr Arak

Revitalizing growth in Germany’s economy, which appears increasingly mired in stagnation, will demand urgent action from the next chancellor.

Economy & Business
Elections

Germany Rejects Trump’s Claim It Owes NATO and US ‘Vast Sums’ for Defense

New Atlanticist
Feb 4, 2025

The next German chancellor must lead from the front, not the middle, on European security

By
Rachel Rizzo, James Batchik

From support for Ukraine to defense spending, German leaders would be wise to take the phrase Führung aus der Mitte permanently out of their vocabulary.

Elections
Germany

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What to expect from Germany’s next government

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Tue, February 25, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

Debriefing Germany’s federal elections

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NATOSource

Mar 20, 2017

Germany Rejects Trump’s Claim It Owes NATO and US ‘Vast Sums’ for Defense

By Reuters and Politico Europe

From Reuters: German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump‘s claim that Germany owes NATO and the United States “vast sums” of money for defense.

Germany NATO
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NATOSource

Mar 20, 2017

Trump Tweets: ‘Germany Owes Vast Sums of Money’ to NATO

By Julie Hirshfeld Davis, New York Times

President Trump criticized Germany on Saturday for paying too little to both NATO and the United States for security support

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In the News

Mar 20, 2017

Cohen Joins BBC to Discuss Recent Meeting Between President Trump and Chancellor Merkel

By Ariel Cohen

Watch the full interview here.

Germany
President Donald Trump, March 17, 2017

NATOSource

Mar 17, 2017

Trump to Merkel: Our NATO Allies Need ‘to Pay’

By Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, and Reuters

Donald Trump: I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO, as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defense.

Germany NATO

In the News

Mar 17, 2017

Burwell Quoted by CBS News on Trade and Recent Meeting Between President Trump and Chancellor Merkel

By Frances Burwell

Read the full article here.

Economy & Business Germany
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NATOSource

Mar 16, 2017

How to Prevent Future Cyber Attacks

By Franklin D. Kramer, Robert Butler and Catherine Lotrionte, US News and World Report

Wednesday’s indictment of Russian hackers, including from Russia’s Federal Security Service, over cyberthefts against Yahoo

Australia Cybersecurity

New Atlanticist

Mar 16, 2017

Merkel Puts Europe First

By Ashish Kumar Sen

German chancellor’s visit to Washington puts focus on US-German, US-European relationships, says Atlantic Council’s Fran Burwell German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces a tough re-election battle in September and a meeting with US President Donald J. Trump is perhaps not the best way for her to burnish her credentials with the German electorate. The fact that […]

European Union Germany

UkraineAlert

Mar 15, 2017

Trump and Merkel Cannot Afford to Fail

By Ariel Cohen

The massive snowstorm that postponed German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the White House is symbolic of the chill in US-German relations. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Merkel’s open borders policy, which has brought over 1,250,000 refugees to Germany since 2015. Merkel has responded with a strong defense of freedom of movement and […]

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NATOSource

Mar 7, 2017

Fearing US Withdrawal, Europe Considers Its Own Nuclear Deterrent

By Max Fisher, New York Times

An idea, once unthinkable, is gaining attention in European policy circles: a European Union nuclear weapons program.

Europe & Eurasia Germany
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NATOSource

Feb 24, 2017

Russia’s Information Warfare Targets German Soldiers in Lithuania

By Deutsche Welle

Earlier this month, outside influences, again widely believed to be Russian, tried to replicate the success of the “Lisa” faux-scandal in Lithuania.

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