Merkel Rules Out Expansion of Germany Contribution to US-Led Coalition

Germany will not expand its part in the US-led coalition after the alliance formally joins it, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday.

BERLIN (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO's decision to join the US-led coalition against the Daesh terrorist group does not envision the alliance taking part in combat operations.

"NATO formally now, after all the member states are represented in the coalition against the Islamic State [Daesh], as well as the EU, will join this alliance. I think this is a clear signal, while it is also clear that this will not lead to Germany's new contributions on top of what we are already doing today," Merkel told reporters upon arrival to Brussels to attend the NATO summit.

According to Stoltenberg, several NATO member states expect potential membership of the military alliance in the coalition as this move could be a signal about a common struggle against terrorism and would contribute to cooperation between the NATO member states and non-NATO states in the fight against terrorists.

The United States announced creation of a broad international coalition to fight against Daesh on September 10, 2014, according to the US Department of State. The US-led coalition that includes 68 countries, including the NATO member states, such as Belgium, France and the United Kingdom among others, has been fighting against Daesh positions in Iraq and Syria.