Alwaght- German chancellor Angela Merkel cautioned on Sunday Europe can no longer rely on it’s the US.
According to Associated Press, Merkel declared a new chapter in US-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week, saying “And so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.”
Offering a tough review in the wake of Trump's trip to visit EU, Nato and G7 leaders last week, Merkel told a packed Bavarian beer hall rally that “The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days".
The chancellor told a 2,500-strong crowd in the Bavarian capital that Germany and Europe would naturally strive to remain on good terms with the US, Britain and other countries, “even with Russia”, adding “We have to know that we must fight for our future on our own, for our destiny as Europeans."
The two-day G7 summit in Italy pitted the US president – whom Merkel did not mention by name – against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues.
The leaders vowed to fight protectionism, reiterating a “commitment to keep our markets open”; step up pressure on North Korea; cooperate more closely on terrorism; and look into placing tougher sanctions on Russia.
But while six of the seven renewed their commitment to the 2015 Paris accord on climate change, Trump said he needed more time to decide.
During his election campaign, Trump frequently questioned the value of the EU, welcomed Britain’s vote to leave the bloc and spoke positively of anti-EU politicians such as the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
Merkel said the result of the G7 talks, which she described as “six against one”, was “very difficult, if not to say very unsatisfactory”.
Touching on Trump's repeated past accusations that other members of the Nato alliance were failing to match America’s military spending commitment of 2% of GDP, saying "Where Germany can help, Germany will help,” she said to loud applause, “because Germany can only do well if Europe is doing well".
