The call, initiated by Friedrich Merz, came soon after he told young people, “I am a great admirer of America. My admiration is not increasing at the moment.”

President Donald Trump said the U.S. is going to significantly reduce its troop presence in Germany, escalating a dispute with Germany’s leader Friedrich Merz as he seeks to scale back America’s commitment to European security.

German soccer club Werder Bremen was canceled a trip to the United States due to concerns over unrest in Minnesota following the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as economic risks, a club spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.

The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, ‌as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions placed further strain on relations between the US and Europe.