New U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic highlights defence cooperation
Nicholas Merrick has officially assumed his duties as the new U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Yesterday, he presented his credentials to President Petr Pavel, beginning his first diplomatic posting.
The new U.S. Ambassador said at the Prague Castle that he was “deeply grateful to President Trump for his trust and confidence” and described it as “an extraordinary privilege to represent him and the American people” in the Czech Republic.
Merrick has officially headed the U.S. Embassy in Prague since October 20. His nomination was announced by President Donald Trump in February, shortly after the president’s inauguration, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7 as part of a package approving 107 of the president’s nominees for diplomatic and other positions.
This is Merrick’s first diplomatic post. Following an earlier career in the telecommunications sector, he founded and led Mt. Vernon Investments, which, among other activities, was an early investor in Truth Social and supported the company through its public listing in 2024. Truth Social, launched in 2022 by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), is a social media platform most famously used by Trump.
Merrick has also taught part-time at the Cistercian Preparatory School in Dallas, Texas, where he lived with his wife, Leslie, before they moved to Prague.
Strengthening defence cooperation
According to Merrick, the Czech Republic and the U.S. share a long history of defence cooperation, as well as clear common adversaries in the Western world: Russia and China. Merrick emphasized that the further strengthening of security and defence cooperation between the U.S. and the Czech Republic will be one of his top priorities.
Referring to the recent Hague Summit in June, where NATO allies agreed to gradually increase defence spending to 5% of GDP (3.5% for direct military purposes and 1.5% for broader defence and security efforts), Merrick praised the Czech Republic’s commitments:
"I’m very proud of what Czechia has done so far. Having recently crossed the 2% threshold on defence spending, and then joining the commitments that were made at the Hague summit.“
Celebrating shared history
Ahead of the October 28 celebrations marking the founding of an independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Merrick reflected on the historical ties between the two countries:
“The friendship between the United States and the Czech Republic runs deep. More than a century ago, President Woodrow Wilson and the United States played a proud role in supporting the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia after the First World War. And in just a few days, the Czech people will celebrate that independence, a reminder of the enduring bond between our two nations and the democratic ideals that unite us.“
