Donald Trump has threatened to pull American troops out of Germany. Over 35,000 are stationed there. The trigger? German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Trump's handling of the negotiations with Iran.

"The Iranians are evidently skilled negotiators - or more precisely, skilled at avoiding negotiations," Merz said. With those words he kicked off the latest NATO crisis. Experts are already describing the situation as the worst the Alliance has ever faced.

Trump answered on Truth Social: his team is "reviewing and considering potential reductions" in the number of American troops in Germany. He added that Merz "doesn't know what he's talking about" and that Berlin believes "it is acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons". Short and without diplomacy. The Trump signature style.

What is really going on here? Germany is the biggest European base of the American military. 35,000 troops. Stationed assets, bases, intelligence centres. A withdrawal would seriously weaken European security, in a moment when Russia is fighting an open war in the east.

But for Trump it is obviously a political instrument - threaten to pull out to pressure a European leader who dares to criticise him. Merz is taking an expensive risk. Germany has no alternative for a fast replacement of the American presence.

For North Macedonia this is a chilling signal. If Germany - with 35,000 troops and major influence - risks an American withdrawal over a single Trump criticism, what does that mean for countries without that weight? The NATO guarantees we had in 2020 no longer work the same way. None of our politicians is saying it out loud - but that is the reality of 2026.