Germany and the U.S. Continue to Clash; Germany Plans to Propose Purchasing "Tomahawk" Missiles Again

On May 11, Xinhua News Agency reported that informed sources disclosed to the British Financial Times on the 10th that amid ongoing tensions between German Chancellor Merz and U.S. President Trump over the U.S.-Iran conflict, the German government hopes the U.S. will agree to its purchase of U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles and the THAAD medium-range missile system.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans to visit the U.S. to discuss the aforementioned military purchases. An informed source stated that whether Pistorius can make the trip depends on whether his meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Austin is confirmed, but currently, the meeting arrangements "cannot be confirmed at all." Another informed source mentioned that, given that the Netherlands and Japan are also waiting for Tomahawk missile deliveries, Germany may be prepared to pay a premium for the purchase.

Pistorius formally proposed the procurement of the THAAD system during his visit to the U.S. last July. This system can launch various types of weapons, including Tomahawk missiles. According to subsequent reports from the U.S. political news website, the German side intends to purchase three THAAD systems and 400 Tomahawk missiles. However, the U.S. has not yet responded to this.

According to the Financial Times, the German government intends to "spend money" to purchase U.S. equipment, highlighting its unease over the U.S. announcement of plans to withdraw some U.S. troops from Germany and cancel scheduled military deployments. A Pentagon official stated on the 1st of this month that they plan to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. military personnel from Germany. Trump then stated the next day that the number of troops withdrawn would "far exceed" 5,000. The Pentagon also announced the cancellation of plans to deploy a long-range fire battalion in Germany later this year, relocating it elsewhere.

Reports suggest that the U.S. actions appear to be a retaliation for Merz's criticism of U.S. military actions against Iran. On April 27, Merz stated that the U.S. military actions against Iran "lack strategy" and are "being humiliated by the Iranian leadership." Trump responded by saying that Merz "doesn't know what he's talking about at all," and that Germany "is performing so poorly in both economic and other aspects." He then threatened to reduce U.S. troops stationed in Germany.

The extensive consumption of the conflict in Iran has put pressure on U.S. weapon stockpiles. Merz stated on the 3rd of this month that the U.S. may not provide Tomahawk missiles to Germany at this stage because "they don't have enough themselves."

A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense stated that they still plan to push forward with the military purchases and have made preliminary inquiries to the U.S. government. He declined to disclose whether the U.S. had responded, stating that the relevant matters "are still in progress."

According to reports, to strengthen Europe's long-range missile capabilities, the German government is discussing other options, including accelerating the European long-range strike program (ELSA) involving Germany, France, Poland, the UK, Italy, and Sweden, but this option is not feasible in the near term. (Ocean)