German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that the new US national security strategy presented last week includes parts that are “unacceptable for us from a European perspective.”
Responding directly to Washington’s strategic shift, Merz also said Europe needed to be less dependent on the United States.
What did Merz say about the change in American strategy?
While Merz rejected components of the US strategy, he also called it surprising in substance, saying the document broadly reflects what US Vice President J.D. Vance had already said at the Munich security conference in February.
Merz said of the American strategy, “Some of it is laudable, some of it is understandable, and some of it is unacceptable to us from a European perspective.” He said, “I don’t think there is any need for Americans to try to save democracy in Europe anymore. If it needs saving, we will be able to handle it on our own.”
Vance has accused Germany and other European allies of restricting freedom of expression and excluding parties such as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The strategy unveiled last week accused European governments of curtailing political freedoms and restricting free speech. Merz argued that such assessments fail to reflect the political realities of the continent.
Speaking during a visit to Rhineland-Palatinate, Merz said Washington’s change confirmed his view that “in Europe, and therefore also in Germany, we should be more independent from the United States in security policy.”
This is a breaking news story, there is more to come…