German Chancellor Friedrich Merz played up German defense spending efforts at a meeting in Berlin with Baltic leaders on Friday, shortly after fresh criticism from US President Donald Trump on the issue. 

Merz on German defense spending push: 'We have no reason to shy away'

"Germany is doubling its defense budget within four years. This is the greatest efforts we have ever made to strengthen our defense capabilities. In this respect, we have no reason to shy away from anyone," Merz told journalists. 

"We will state this, with all due modesty, and we are doing so as the European Union's largest member state, bearing a responsibility within Europe," Merz said.    

Trump, on his Truth Social media platform,  said Thursday the NATO defense spending relationship is not "reciprocal" and that it was "ridiculous for the USA to continue along this one sided path." In a separate post, he claimed that Germany's spending was "MUCH LOWER between 2014-2025 than the US or other NATO allies."     

The criticism comes as NATO leaders, including Trump, are expected to meet in Ankara, Turkey, next week.  Merz said he would bring up Germany's defense spending figures at the summit.    

Germany's defense spending is slated to rise to 3.5% of GDP by 2029. Last year, NATO members during a summit in the Netherlands agreed to boost spending on defense and security to 5% of GDP by 2035.  

In 2025, Germany's defense spending was at 2.4% of GDP, exceeding the longstanding 2% benchmark. However, Germany falls behind most NATO members when it comes to spending, as per NATO figures, with Poland and the Baltic States at the front of the pack in terms of spending as a share of GDP.

Reuters news agency reported that NATO leaders, including Trump, are expected to affirm an "ironclad commitment" to collective defense under the alliance's Article 5 mutual defense clause. However, this statement will need final approval from all leaders.  

Lithuania to lift ban on nuclear weapons deployment

Merz's comments on defense spending come as Lithuania, another NATO member state, seeks to lift its constitutional ban on deploying nuclear weapons on Lithuanian soil.

"A few days ago, I initiated a constitutional amendment to remove the existing restriction on the possible deployment of nuclear weapons in Lithuania," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during the Berlin press conference with Merz. 

Nauseda said he would like Lithuania to be integrated into the Western nuclear deterrence against Russia. 

Merz said he "noted with respect" Lithuania's move so that it is prepared to defend its territory and that of NATO. 

Lithuania, which was occupied by the Soviets from 1944 to 1991, has a border with Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. Lithuania also borders Belarus, a close ally of Russia. 

Russia began its full-scale military invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, with Vilnius downgrading ties with Moscow and abandoning Russian gas in response.   

Edited by: Sean Sinico 

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