German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has rejected allegations of tension with US President Donald Trump, saying that the situation is "not a marital crisis" and adding that he does not know what military support Washington expects from Berlin, DPA reports.
In response to Trump's words that Germany refused him "a little kiss" in connection with support for the war against Iran, Pistorius stressed: "A little kiss can happen even in the best of relationships - and sometimes unintentionally. This is really not a marital crisis.
The minister was adamant that he did not know what kind of military support the United States would like to receive from Germany.
According to him, everyone is now used to the "slightly rougher" tone of the American administration when there are disagreements between allies.
"We are not made of cotton candy," Pistorius noted.
He also revealed that a senior American general had recently told him that Germany was the "center of gravity" of NATO and the key pillar of the Alliance.
"This puts one or two criticisms in a slightly different perspective", the German minister noted.
Pistorius stressed that efforts to strengthen the Bundeswehr are being undertaken "out of an inner conviction - for the security of Germany and our NATO allies", and not with the aim of winning the favor of Donald Trump.
"We are not doing it in the hope of buying someone's love", he emphasized.
In recent weeks, representatives of the US administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have sharply criticized NATO allies for their insufficient support in the war against Iran, describing the position of some countries in the Alliance as "shameful".