German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about creating a joint European nuclear deterrent.
He called on Europe to restore its relations with its ally the United States, reports "Reuters".
"We are not doing this by writing off NATO. We do this by building a strong, self-sustaining European pillar within the Alliance,” he said in a speech at the opening of the Munich Security Conference.
He declared that the old rules-based world order “no longer exists.”
“Together we have entered an era that is once again marked by great power power and politics,” Merz said, referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s assertiveness. He said these issues were shaping the international system, adding that any brief “unipolar moment” The post-Cold War era is over and Europe must stop acting as if it were on a "vacation from world history".
Merz said that in this context, natural resources, technology and supply chains are becoming bargaining tools in a zero-sum game between great powers.
The German chancellor pointed out that while people sometimes "automatically demand" that Europe "writes off" the United States as a partner, this is not right.
"I understand the concerns and doubts that lead to such statements. And I share some of them. But these opinions are not well thought out. They do not take into account the difficult geopolitical realities in Europe," he noted, adding that these claims "underestimate the potential that the partnership with the United States continues to have despite all the difficulties."
On the issue of defending the Old Continent, Merz insisted that it be strengthened. He noted that while the European Union's gross domestic product (GDP) is almost 10 times higher than that of Russia, the bloc is not "10 times stronger than Russia."
Merz also said that the EU does not "believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade." He pointed out that the MAGA culture war "is not ours" and that freedom of speech in Europe ends when "the words spoken are directed against human dignity and our fundamental law".
"Even the US reaches the limits of its own strength if it acts alone", warned Merz. "Being part of NATO is not only a competitive advantage for Europe, but also a competitive advantage for the United States. So let us repair and revive transatlantic trust together. We Europeans are doing our part", he stressed, adding that US President Trump "may have loyal followers, but democracies have partners and allies".
Merz expressed the opinion that Russia "is not yet ready to negotiate seriously" to end the war in Ukraine and stressed that meaningful negotiations will only be possible once Moscow is faced with sufficient pressure.
"This war will only end when Russia is at least economically, potentially militarily exhausted", predicted Merz, adding that this moment is approaching.
Merz stressed that Europe is ready for negotiations, but insisted that Moscow must first demonstrate a genuine willingness to negotiate a ceasefire before moving on to a broader peace plan.