US EditionTrans-Atlantic tensions in focus as annual Munich security gathering opens
Chancellor Merz urged US and Europe to rebuild fractured transatlantic trust and highlighted NATO membership as a mutual advantage amid increased defense spending by European allies.
- On Friday at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the rules-based order `no longer exists` and urged Europeans to accept sacrifice as `our freedom is not guaranteed`.
- Shifts in U.S. policy, including tariff and treaty changes, prompted strained transatlantic trust as U.S. commitments to NATO have been called into question and its leadership claim challenged.
- Countering last year's U.S. tone, the German chancellor said `the battle of cultures of MAGA in the US is not ours` and emphasized that freedom of speech ends where it attacks human dignity, supporting climate agreements and the WHO.
- Merz urged Europe to invest in deterrence, warning `even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone`, and revealed `confidential talks` on a joint European nuclear deterrent.
- Some 50 world leaders are expected at the conference, where Russia‑Ukraine, tensions with China, and a potential Iran‑US nuclear deal are on the agenda, as Rubio said `the old world is gone`.
273 Articles
273 Articles
Merz warns US against going alone at Munich summit
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Munich Security Conference that the rules-based order no longer exists and warned the US against unilateral action, as Emmanuel Macron pushed for European defence autonomy and Marco Rubio spoke of a new era in geopolitics.
Chancellor Merz has earned the Trump administration's ear
Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that “a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States.” While Merz called for both American and European actions to “repair” the trans-Atlantic alliance, his speech was notably critical of the Trump administration. The blame for the current malaise in trans-Atlantic relations must be shared. Trump has seriously damaged trans-Atlantic tru…
Merz eyes European nuclear shield in call for reset with U.S.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin had begun confidential talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent, saying the region had to become stronger in order to reset its relationship with the United States. In a speech to open the Munich Security Conference, Merz also called on…
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The German chancellor at the Munich Conference: 'The Maga fight not ours', the shore of Macron. Rubio: 'Everyone sees his role' (ANSA)
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