Friedrich Merz Defends German Defense Spending Before Trump

Ahead of the NATO summit, Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU, defended Germany's defense spending. This came in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump, who called European nations' spending 'ridiculous.' Merz emphasized the need for Germany and other European countries to increase their contributions to NATO, while also referencing arguments made by the Chancellor, who apparently presented different figures in a phone call to justify the defense spending. Merz appeared confident ahead of the summit, stressing the importance of a strong defense policy in Europe.