German Chancellor calls for reset with US as old global order crumbles | World News
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Friday for a stronger Europe to restore ties with the United States, hoping Washington will “repair and revive trust” in a dangerous new era of great power politics as the old world order collapses.
In a speech at the opening of the Munich Security Conference, Merz warned that the United States cannot go it alone, but also said Europe must strengthen its own defenses and spoke of confidential discussions with France on nuclear deterrence.
The speech underscored how European leaders are increasingly seeking to chart an independent course after a year of unprecedented upheaval in transatlantic relations, while striving to maintain their alliance with Washington.
Taking a cue from those who warned that the rules-based international order was on the verge of destruction, Merz said: “I fear we have to say it even more bluntly: that order, however imperfect it may be, even at its best, no longer exists in this form. » Switching to English at the end, Merz said: “In the era of great power rivalry, even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone. Dear friends, being part of NATO is not only Europe’s competitive advantage. It is also the United States’ competitive advantage.”
“So let’s repair and revive transatlantic trust together,” he added.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said transatlantic relations were at a “watershed moment” in a rapidly changing world, but he struck a warmer tone ahead of the Munich security conference on Friday, after a year of unprecedented upheaval.
At the same meeting of top security officials last year, Vice President JD Vance attacked European allies, sparking a series of confrontations as the United States appeared determined to dismantle much of the international order it had helped build. In response, Washington’s partners have pushed to chart a more independent course while preserving the alliance’s foundations, as they face myriad threats ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine to massive destruction of global trade.
“I think we are at a defining moment…the world is changing very quickly right in front of us,” Rubio said before leaving for Munich. “The Old World is gone, frankly, the world he grew up in, and we’re living in a new geopolitical era, and it’s going to force us all to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be,” he said.
