German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe cannot completely place all its hope on the United States and other partners and allies, citing her experience with US President Donald Trump at the just concluded international summits. “The periods of our total reliance on others are over, to an extent” she said at a function in Munich.
Angela Merkel's speech
Though she did not mentioned Trump, her speech pointed to President Donald Trump’s initial foreign tour, where he criticized its allied members for the level commitment to their defense funding and also described Germany “very bad” on trade deals.
“The experience we had in the last few days could only mean that we Europeans must really take ours destiny in our hands, and of course in relationship with the US and ties the United Kingdom and as neighbors wherever it becomes necessary, also with Russia and with all other nations around the world,” the German Chancellor said.
President Trump failed to demonstrate to EU leaders on his commitment to fight Russian aggression in his address at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
Reverberation of Trump ties to Russia
Question about President Trump’s position on Russia came up again and attention was shifted the Washington investigation about Trump administration’s ties to Russia. In His addressed he clearly called on allied nations to increase their monetary allocation on defense.
NATO raged at Trump’s remark, which didn’t recognize the recent upsurge in defense expenditure of member nations, and also failed to reassure US commitment to the alliance’s mutual military pledge, in the wake of President Trump’s degrading speeches about the alliance during his 2016 presidential election campaign.
At the G-7 summit held on Friday and Saturday, EU leaders including German Chancellor failed to persuade Trump to show commitment in the Paris climate pact.
The future of Europe
Merkel had previously met former US President Barack Obama in Berlin before the NATO summit began. During the Obama administration, the German Chancellor was one of the prominent Western leader who spoke against nationalist movements like the Brexit campaign and Trump’s campaign policies.
Merkel stated that Europeans would remain committed on key areas and continue their friendship with the United States, United Kingdom and other allies when necessary, including Russia, but maintained her stance that Europeans must rely on themselves.
In her remarks she urged Europeans to contend for their own future and destiny. She further expressed support for the UK against terrorism.
