German Vice-Chancellor and finance minister Lars Klingbeil on Friday defended Chancellor Friedrich Merz after US President Donald Trump criticized Merz’s remark that Tehran had “humiliated” Washington. Klingbeil said Germany did not need advice from Trump amid the conflict with Iran and urged the US president to concentrate on pushing for serious peace talks.
Speaking at a Labor Day event in Bergkamen in the Ruhr region, Klingbeil told attendees: “We really don’t need any advice from Donald Trump right now. He should see the mess he’s made. He should make sure that serious peace talks are now being held in Iran.” He pushed back on social media attacks from Trump and placed responsibility on the US president to help end the fighting and limit economic fallout for workers, consumers and businesses.
Although Merz (a conservative) and Klingbeil (a centre-left Social Democrat) do not always align politically, the vice-chancellor publicly backed his coalition colleague. Klingbeil also questioned Trump’s apparent expectation of a rapid resolution, saying he thought the president “really thought it would be a matter of two or three days.” He warned Europe must be economically resilient so it cannot be “blackmailed by anyone” or left dependent on “what mood Donald Trump is in today or tomorrow.”
The exchange followed Merz’s criticism that the US entered the crisis without a clear strategy and his claim that Iran was gaining the upper hand in negotiations. Trump replied that Merz “has no idea what he’s talking about,” urged him to limit interference and told Germany to focus more on the Russia-Ukraine war and domestic issues including immigration and energy. Tensions have risen between Washington and Berlin, with Trump threatening to cut US troop levels in Germany.