Merz will gather leaders to forge NATO for wooing Trump

Michael Nienaber and Andrea Palasciano, Bloomberg News on Jun 1, 2026

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to host European leaders later this month with a goal of crafting a plan to smooth relations with President Donald Trump at a NATO summit in July, according to people familiar with the matter.

Leaders of the so-called E5 — Germany, France, the U.K., Italy and Poland — will gather in Berlin to assemble a package of measures showcasing European allies’ efforts to take more responsibility for their defense, the people said on condition of anonymity as deliberations take place behind closed doors.

Merz also plans to invite NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, with officials in the various capitals still looking for a suitable date, one of the people said.

A German government spokesman said a meeting of E5 leaders has not been scheduled “at this point.” European and American allies are using various channels to coordinate their response to the current situation, and the U.S. is kept closely informed of European defense efforts, the spokesman added.

Trump, whose threats to abandon the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have been a feature of both his presidential terms, has excoriated the allies for not backing the U.S.-led war on Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. European leaders, who were not consulted by Trump before he started the conflict, have largely declined to support the war.

The German chancellor in particular has been targeted by Trump after he criticized the U.S. leader’s lack of strategy in the war and asserted that U.S. negotiators were being “humiliated” by Iranian counterparts. The U.S. president responded by announcing the withdrawal of more than 5,000 troops from Germany.

E5 defense ministers are planning a separate meeting in Paris June 12 to agree on a joint position for the July 7-8 NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara and discuss command structures in case of a wider conflict in Europe, another person said.

Trump has lashed out at NATO several times since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February. He called the alliance a “paper tiger,” questioning its relevance and allies’ willingness to shoulder the cost of collective security. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered more scathing remarks at European allies at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore over the weekend.

At last year’s NATO summit in the Netherlands, all allies except Spain pledged to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense-related investments. Germany in particular has ratcheted up its military budget.

Merz said earlier this year that he wanted to do everything possible to maintain U.S. protection for Europe as part of NATO, while vowing to step up defense spending and take on more responsibility. “This alliance is, at least for the time being, irreplaceable,” Merz said in April.