Donald Trump has sharply criticized Germany’s NATO defense spending as ‘ridiculous,’ prompting a strong rebuttal from Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

In a recent statement, Donald Trump condemned Germany’s contributions to NATO, labeling them as ‘laughable.’ This criticism comes just days before the NATO summit in Ankara.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded by highlighting Germany’s commitment to doubling its defense budget over four years, asserting that this is the largest effort to enhance defense capabilities in the nation’s history. He emphasized that Germany has nothing to hide regarding its contributions to NATO.