German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has called for an apology from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding his statements about Afghanistan. In a pre‑recorded interview for the ARD program “Caren Miosga” Pistorius answered a question about whether he believes the American president should apologise: “Yes, of course that would be appropriate. It would be a sign of decency, respect, and insight. But we all know how the American president behaves”.
During Germany’s deployment in Afghanistan, 59 Bundeswehr soldiers lost their lives and about 500 were wounded, some seriously. At the so‑called Koban-Friday assault in 2010 in the Kunduz province, three paratroopers were killed and eight soldiers were wounded. Pistorius said, “Talking about the fallen of our allies in such a manner is simply disrespectful and insulting. All stood at the side of the United States. To now say something else is simply not true”.
He also stressed that not every statement by Trump should be answered. “I think we should let it stand. Honestly, if we commented on every utterance that appears daily on social media or in press conferences, we would have so much to do and no time left to focus on truly important matters”.
When asked whether he would address Trump’s comments toward his U.S. colleague Pete Hegseth, the minister replied, “As soon as I see him-absolutely”.
Pistorius defended the deployment of German troops as part of a NATO reconnaissance mission to Greenland. “Through our actions with other NATO partners, we have, with pleasure, underscored that we are aware of our responsibility and duty to stand up for Arctic security”.
He described the temporary threat of tariffs that Trump had almost imposed on European nations whose soldiers were sent to Greenland-and the subsequent surprising withdrawal of that threat-as a misunderstanding on the U.S. side. “In NATO everyone knew. It was coordinated among NATO partners that the tariffs were withdrawn by the U.S. president, which shows there was evidently a misunderstanding in Washington. How that came about, I’ll leave it at that”.
Regarding Europe’s overall trans‑Atlantic relationship, Pistorius said the continent can no longer rely on the U.S. in the same way it has in the past. “We can no longer rely on it as we have over the last 70 years. That is simply the reality we face. The Canadian Prime Minister made this very clear in Davos, as did the German Chancellor. It is a break of an era. Things are changing, and we must adapt”.
He also referred to ongoing European efforts to strengthen defence capability: “We are on an excellent path. Procurement for the Bundeswehr is progressing rapidly, the numbers are encouraging, and together with other NATO partners we are moving toward becoming war‑ready by 2029”.
Despite current tensions between Europe and the United States, the Defence Minister expressed optimism about Europe’s alliance capacity. “Conventionally, we are (defence‑capable) and will always improve. NATO stays central, and the United States continues to play a key role. I firmly hold to the goal of making Germany defence‑capable by 2029: we are on an excellent path”.
