Merz chairs first meeting of new German security body; NATO chief plays down US troop withdrawal from Romania

Merz chairs first meeting of new German security body; NATO chief plays down US troop withdrawal from Romania
by AFP Staff Writers
Berlin (AFP) Nov 5, 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz chaired the first meeting of a new National Security Council on Wednesday, with "hybrid threats" from Russia topping the agenda, his spokesman said.

Berlin has repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting "hybrid" warfare -- a largely unconventional warfare that can involve sabotage, disinformation campaigns and other disruptive attacks.

"The meeting focused on the adoption of an interdepartmental action plan to counter hybrid threats," Merz's spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement.

The plan includes measures in the areas of espionage and critical infrastructure protection, Kornelius said.

"This is the government's response to the growing number and intensity of hybrid threats against Germany, particularly from Russia," he said.

Examples include several drone sightings at airports and sensitive military sites in Germany in recent months, with leaders pointing the finger at Moscow.

The meeting also discussed "strategic dependencies on critical raw materials" as well as "views on current security policy issues", Kornelius said.

"The government will develop an action plan by the end of the year to diversify and strengthen the resilience of raw material supplies," he added.

Merz first put forward the idea of a National Security Council in early 2025, in the run-up to Germany's national election in February.

The body includes representatives of several different ministries as well as experts from security services, think tanks and the private sector.

It will be tasked with analysing the global security situation and developing Germany's responses.

Merz has previously said it will be a "central platform for the government for overarching issues of national security".

NATO chief plays down US troop withdrawal from Romania
Bucharest (AFP) Nov 5, 2025 - NATO head Mark Rutte on Wednesday shrugged off a US decision to withdraw troops from Romania, after fears it could spell a broader disengagement by Washington.

"I really think we are making a little bit too much out of this," Rutte said at a press conference with Romania's president in Bucharest.

"These adjustments take place. Please don't read too much into that."

Romania said last week the United States was pulling out troops from the country, which borders war-torn Ukraine, but that some 1,000 US personnel are set to remain.

Washington has denied that the move signals a step back from helping defend Europe at a time of heightened worry over the threat from Russia.

The withdrawal comes amid a review of US military deployments worldwide that has intensified concerns about President Donald Trump's commitment to European members of the US-led NATO alliance.

The Trump administration has said it is considering shifting more forces to focus more on other challenges, such as China.

"The US has a big presence in Europe, and that presence is there, and within that presence, they are always looking, how can they make best use of their resources," Rutte said.

"Even with this adjustment, the US force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years. There are still many more US forces on the continent than before 2022."

Trump has long accused NATO allies of not spending enough on defence -- but the military alliance sought to win over the US leader by pledging to ramp up expenditure at a summit this summer.