Trump praises Germany's stance on Iran war during White House meeting

US President Donald Trump praised Germany's stance on the Iran war during talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying Berlin had behaved "great" and stressing that Washington was not seeking German troops for the military operation.

"We're not asking them to put boots on the ground or anything," Trump said during their meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

At the same time, Trump sharply criticized NATO allies Spain and the United Kingdom during the meeting. He said the UK had been "very, very uncooperative," calling its conduct "shocking."

British media have reported that London initially declined to allow US strikes on Iran from its bases before granting limited approval.

He also criticized Spain, which has refused to allow the US to use air bases on its territory, and described the country's behaviour as "terrible." Trump said he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt "all dealings" with Madrid, without specifying which agreements he meant.

Merz later rejected Trump's threats to sever economic ties with Spain. He said he had made clear that no isolated agreement could be concluded with Germany or Europe while excluding Spain, stressing that EU trade negotiations must be conducted collectively.

No German military support in Iran planned

Germany, unlike Spain, has not objected to the United States using the Ramstein air base in western Germany for operations linked to the Iran strikes. However, Berlin has ruled out direct military participation. According to Merz, Germany has not been asked by either the US or Israel to provide military support.

In the Oval Office, Merz signalled broad alignment with Washington's objectives, saying both sides agreed that the regime in Tehran must be removed. He added that political perspectives and security structures for the post-conflict period must be considered.

Later, however, Merz indicated he still had open questions about Washington's plans. He said he had asked about the strategy for "the day after" and whether there was a clear vision for how Iran would be governed, adding that he sensed considerable uncertainty.

Trump: Ending war in Ukraine high on priority list

Merz also urged Trump not to lose sight of efforts to end the war in Ukraine and exert more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump said ending the conflict remained high on his priority list, describing "tremendous hatred" between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

After the meeting, Merz called on Trump to include Europe in any peace negotiations, saying Europe would not accept an agreement negotiated over its heads.

Trump knows "only a peace that Europe supports and legitimizes can truly be lasting," Merz said, adding that the US president also knows that Europe's contributions to the security, reconstruction and European integration of Ukraine are "indispensable for this peace."

Merz pushes for quick resolution in tariff dispute

Trade tensions also featured prominently. Trump reiterated plans to introduce a 15% global tariff on imports into the United States and said his administration was examining differentiated tariffs for specific countries.

In a light-hearted moment, he joked to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, saying the US should hit Germany "very, very hard," tapping Merz on the knee. Merz did not respond publicly.

Later, the German chancellor said he had urged Trump to finalize and swiftly implement a trade agreement reached last year between the US and the European Union.

Trump also criticized former German chancellor Angela Merkel, saying he had disagreed with her on migration and energy policy. By contrast, he described Merz as an excellent leader and a friend.

During the public portion of the meeting, Merz spoke for around three minutes, compared with roughly 30 minutes for Trump. A similar imbalance had marked his inaugural visit last June, though most of the questions from reporters were directed at the US president.