German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul disputes the US national security strategy’s portrayal of Europe’s free expression landscape, calling it inaccurate.
Speaking at a meeting with his Icelandic colleague Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir in Berlin on Friday, Wadephul said he does not feel "that anyone needs to give us advice" on freedom of speech, a principle which is safeguarded by "our constitutional order."
Wadephul emphasized that the United States is and continues to be Germany's most significant NATO partner and that the nation is proud of its "free media."
The Trump administration bemoans the decline of democracy and freedom of speech in Europe and demands a shift in direction in a new national security plan unveiled by the White House late on Thursday.
"The larger issues facing Europe include activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence,"
the text states.
Regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "the Trump
Administration finds
itself at odds with European officials who hold unrealistic expectations for
the war perched in unstable minority governments, many of which trample on
basic principles of democracy to suppress opposition."
How might this dispute affect NATO cooperation between the US and Germany?
The US National Security Strategy disagreement is doubtful to materially disrupt core NATO military cooperation between the US and Germany, as Wadephul explicitly affirmed the alliance's security focus while codifying popular reviews asnon-security matters.
NATO's deterrence posture, including Germany's 2 GDP defense spending commitment and troop benefactions to Enhanced Forward Presence in Lithuania, remains isolated from rhetorical spats, with common exercises and Ukraine aid continuing amid participated Russia pitfalls. literal pressures (e.g., Trump- period trade rows) urged German EU defense boosts without halting interoperability or Composition 5 pledges.
Escalation pitfalls include delayed burden- sharing addresses or reduced US intelligence sharing if rhetoric hardens, pushing Berlin toward European autonomy via FCAS/ MGCS, though realistic hedging preserves concinnity against China Russia. Merz's chancellorship prioritizes transatlantic stability despite public pushback.