BERLIN (AP) 鈥� said Tuesday that the Trump administration’s underscores the need for Europe to become 鈥渕uch more independent鈥� from the United States in terms of security policy.
Merz also pushed back against the notion that European democracy needs saving.
The U.S. strategy, published Friday, paints European allies as weak, while offering tacit support to far-right political parties, and was and migration policy. On Monday, European Council President Ant贸nio Costa warned the U.S. against interfering in Europe鈥檚 affairs and said only European citizens can decide which parties should govern them.
Merz, the leader of the European Union’s most populous nation and its biggest economy, said he wasn’t surprised by the substance of the strategy as it was largely in line with U.S. Vice President JD Vance gave to European allies in Munich in February.
Parts of the document are understandable, but 鈥渟ome of it is unacceptable for us from the European point of view,鈥� he told reporters in the western German city of Mainz.
鈥淭hat the Americans want to save democracy in Europe now, I don鈥檛 see any need for that,鈥� Merz said. 鈥淚f it needed to be saved, we would manage that alone.鈥�
He added that the new U.S. document 鈥渃onfirms my assessment that we in Europe, and so also in Germany, must become much more independent from the U.S. in terms of security policy. This is not a surprise, but it has now been confirmed again. It has been documented.鈥�
Merz said that Vance’s speech earlier this year had 鈥渟et off something in me as well, and you can see that today in our defense spending.鈥�
Merz鈥檚 government, in office since May, has by loosening strict rules on incurring debt 鈥� adding to an effort to that has been underway since Russia’s full-scale started in 2022.
Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO members, including Germany, agreed in June to a in the alliance’s defense spending target.
鈥淚n my talks with the Americans, I say: 鈥楢merica first is fine,鈥� but 鈥楢merica alone鈥� can鈥檛 be in your interest. You need partners in the world too,鈥� Merz said Tuesday. 鈥淎nd one of the partners can be Europe. And if you can鈥檛 do anything with Europe, then at least make Germany your partner.鈥�
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