German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that while Europe remains a close partner to the United States, it is not a subordinate power.

In a government statement delivered to the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, Merz emphasized that the trust built within NATO remains the "best guarantee for freedom, peace, and security," but "we are partners and allies, and not subordinates."

Recalling Germany's engagement alongside the United States in the war in Afghanistan, Merz said 59 German soldiers lost their lives, and over 100 were injured. He said he would not allow this contribution to be disparaged.

His remarks came against the backdrop of repeated criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has questioned Europe's military role within NATO and accused European allies of relying excessively on U.S. defense spending.

Last week, during an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, Trump dismissed European members' role in NATO, saying, "We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did – they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." Trump's remarks have sparked a firestorm of criticism.

Merz also pointed to recent progress in economic ties, saying that the European Union had succeeded in averting new tariffs threatened by the United States.

Also, last week, Trump temporarily suspended threatened Greenland-related tariffs on eight European countries following the European Parliament's vote to suspend the EU-U.S. trade deal as a retaliatory move.