Merz Admits EU Nations Have Been ‘Free-Riders’ on US Over Defense

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, ‘We know we have to do more on our own and we have been free-riders in the past.’
Merz Admits EU Nations Have Been ‘Free-Riders’ on US Over Defense
President Donald Trump greets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House in Washington on June 5, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has admitted Europe spent too long relying on the United States for its defense and security, but said they were now on the “same page.”

“We know we have to do more on our own and we have been free-riders in the past and the Americans guaranteed our freedom and our security, and they are not willing, understandably ... to do that any longer, and they’re asking us to do more, and we are doing more,” Merz told the BBC on Friday.
Chris Summers
Chris Summers
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Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.