Germany on Monday rejected demands by the United States to deploy ground troops in Syria, a stance likely to anger U.S. President Donald Trump who wants Chancellor Angela Merkel to commit to a bigger military role in the Middle East.

"When I say the government envisages sticking to the current measures in the anti-Islamic State (military) coalition, this includes no ground troops, as is well known," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told a regular news conference.

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