What connects the two countries and what would a second presidency of Donald Trump mean for their relationship?

Relations between Germany and the US have not exactly been at their best during the presidency of Donald Trump. When Joe Biden took office in 2021, the two countries sought to restore calm in their relationship based on their historic ties, shared security requirements and values. However, this was not always successful.

The US has always been highly critical of Nord Stream 2, the pipeline that would carry natural gas directly from Russia to Germany. It was something unusual between friends. US pressure on Germany to exclude Chinese mobile operators Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks has also put Germany in a difficult position.

This was followed by the disastrous – and unexpected for European allies – withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. The resignation of Angela Merkel after 16 years as German chancellor in the same year was less of a surprise, but also brought changes. Her successor Olaf Scholz has already met several times with Biden and never forgets to stress the importance of good bilateral relations.

But what is the state of transatlantic relations today? On what issues do the United States and Germany agree, and where could things be improved?

Coordinated approach

One of the main points of conflict between Germany and former US President Trump has been Europe’s underspending on NATO and defense in general.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought this issue to the fore since the end of Trump’s presidency. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany also sees the need to review its military spending and security policy.

Meanwhile, the United States has proven to be a reliable ally and the biggest supporter of Ukraine, followed by Germany.

A few days after the invasion, Soltz spoke of a “turning point” in a charged speech. The announcement of a special fund of 100 million euros for the Bundeswehr was a remarkable turnaround for Germany, which had previously been rather passive when it came to defense policy.

Germany supported various US sanctions against Russia and cooperated in a sensitive prisoner exchange. Russian natural gas is no longer one of Germany’s main sources of energy. Instead, the country imports liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, among others. In the eyes of the US, this divestment from Russian gas reaffirmed its long-standing mistrust of Russia and the Nord Stream pipelines.

Military power and long-range missiles

Regarding the war in Gaza, the stance of the two countries is similar. Both support Israel and are making major diplomatic efforts to negotiate a long-term ceasefire.

A potential point of contention between Washington and Berlin is the increased US military presence in Germany. Germany currently hosts more than 35,000 active-duty US military personnel, more than in the rest of the EU. Many Europeans value the security this presence provides.

From early 2026, the US wants to redeploy long-range weapons to Germany for the first time since the 1990s. The weapons will not only serve to protect Germany, but also eastern NATO members such as Poland and the Baltic countries. This agreement was finalized without parliamentary debate. It has been criticized not only by the far right and the far left, but also by members of the ruling coalition.

The two countries are also closely linked economically. The United States is Germany’s largest trading partner and German companies are the third largest foreign employer in the US with more than 900,000 jobs, according to the German Embassy in Washington.

What do the citizens think?

85% of Americans and 77% of Germans describe their relationship as good. According to the survey, majorities in both countries see China’s growing influence as detrimental to their countries. Seven in ten Americans see China as a serious threat to their economy and security. In Germany, on the other hand, only about half of respondents categorize China as an economic threat.

However, Germany only recently backed down and followed the US lead by banning Chinese companies from 5G networks. Like the US, Germany is expanding its chip-making capabilities to become less dependent on foreign companies. This is especially true for TSMC from Taiwan, should China invade the country.

The US would like to see Germany take a tougher stance on China in order to keep it in check economically. The US itself is leading the charge and announced tough new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles earlier this year.

However, as soon as the European Union announced its own tariffs, Germany backed out, fearing retaliation against its own auto sector.

A second Trump presidency will be challenging

It should not be difficult to continue to find common ground between the US, Germany and Europe in the future. Under a Kamala Harris president, things would probably stay more or less the same. Germans would prefer that, but as a precaution, the German government is preparing for the possibility that the presidential election will turn out differently.

If Trump wins, this would have serious consequences for US support for Ukraine and the number of US troops stationed in Europe. The former president has often questioned the value of transatlantic relations and sees Europe as an economic competitor. This could result in less cooperation, more tariffs or even a trade war.

Edited by: Kostas Argyros