Wadephul travels to Washington and Mercosur states – talks on NATO, Ukraine and trade

Transatlantic tensions ahead of the Ankara summit

The talks come at a time of considerable strain in transatlantic relations. Donald Trump had once again accused allies such as Britain, Germany and Italy of providing insufficient support. "Die USA hätten enorme Summen für den Schutz Europas ausgegeben", Trump had said. "Wenn Verbündete den USA bei vergleichsweise kleinen Angelegenheiten nicht helfen wollten, könne Washington künftig ebenfalls Nein sagen", he added. Trump had also criticised that important partners had not been there when Washington itself had requested support against Iran.

Wadephul responded to these accusations by pointing to the effectiveness of Western deterrence. "Unsere kollektive Abschreckung wirkt", he said. Russia's President Vladimir Putin had good reason not to dare attack a NATO state. At the same time, the minister pointed to the risks in the Near and Middle East: Iranian control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz shows that security policy and economic policy cannot be separated from one another. "Unsere kollektive Abschreckung wirkt", the foreign minister said.

Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

The conflict over Iran is also shaping the diplomatic agenda. Iran has once again asserted sole control over shipping in the strategically important strait, while there have recently been renewed mutual attacks despite a ceasefire in the Iran war. According to sources in Berlin, Germany and the United States share the goal of converting a framework agreement between Washington and Tehran into a permanent and viable solution.

Following the Washington visit, Wadephul will continue his travels to South America. In Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, the foreign minister intends to attend the summit of the Mercosur states on Tuesday. Stops in Argentina and Brazil follow. The EU-Mercosur deal has formed a large new free trade zone since the beginning of May, which is intended to boost the exchange of goods and services by reducing tariffs and trade barriers.

Mercosur summit in Asunción

Wadephul also justified the trip with the increasing vulnerability of global supply chains. The more trade conflicts and crises weigh on the global economy, the more countries must be economically broader and more resilient. The CDU politician sees this as an additional argument for the agreement with the South American partners.

The trip is also taking place against the backdrop of stalled efforts to bring about a settlement of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. US mediation efforts between Moscow and Kyiv have come to a noticeable standstill because of the Iran war. Against this background, the talks with Rubio are seen as an opportunity to further align the positions of the Western allies ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.

Overall, the trip links three major thematic areas: the future of NATO, support for Ukraine and the deepening of economic relations with South America. Observers view the visit as a signal that the German government wants to maintain dialogue with the United States and the Mercosur partners at a high level simultaneously, despite the tensions with Washington.

The news about the trip was broadcast on 29 June 2026 on the Deutschlandfunk programme.