US EditionBBC World Service - Newshour, Germany's Merz Warns Rules-Based Order 'No Longer Exists'
Merz disclosed confidential talks on a joint European nuclear deterrent and urged Europe to prepare for sacrifices amid eroding trust with the US, citing tariffs and policy differences.
- At the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the rules-based order `no longer exists` and warned Europeans that `Our freedom is not guaranteed`, urging readiness for `sacrifices`.
- Pointing to recent disputes, the speech highlighted US tariffs on European imports and US President Donald Trump’s Greenland episode as examples eroding trust, he said.
- Merz said he disclosed ongoing confidential talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about a joint European nuclear deterrent.
- Merz signalled a push for Europe to take greater responsibility for its security, while Emmanuel Macron urged collective action and accelerated rearmament to pressure Moscow.
- Merz added context by acknowledging the transatlantic alliance's importance but warned Europe must prepare as US support cannot always be taken for granted.
24 Articles
24 Articles
International media comment on the speech of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
BBC World Service - Newshour, Germany's Merz warns rules-based order 'no longer exists'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told other world leaders that 'our freedom is not guaranteed' in an era of big power politics. Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, Merz said that Europeans must be ready to make a 'sacrifice'. He also admitted that 'a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States'. We'll speak to a senior German politician and a former member of the first Trump administration. Also in the programme: a…
The US-Led World Order Is Over, Germany’s Leader Friedrich Merz Says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Munich Security Conference 2026. Credit: Munich Security Conference (MSC) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Munich Security Conference that the decades-old world order “no longer exists,” warning that the United States cannot address global security challenges alone in an era of rising great-power competition. Addressing global leaders, he said freedom cannot be taken for granted and that European …
“This order, however imperfect it was even at its best, no longer exists in its current form,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the rules-based world order at the opening of the Munich Security Conference. He also spoke of the deep divide that had opened up between Europe and the United States. “Vice President JD Vance put it very openly in Munich a year ago.” According to Merz, the US vice president was right, the culture war of the MAG…
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