Merz Says US Not Powerful Enough to Go It Alone, Urges Repair of Trust With Europe

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had also started talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about an independent European nuclear deterrent.
Merz Says US Not Powerful Enough to Go It Alone, Urges Repair of Trust With Europe
German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, on the 62nd Munich Security Conference on Feb. 13, 2026 in Munich, Germany. Johannes Simon/Getty Images
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a forthright speech, told the Munich Security Conference on Friday to beware of trying to “go it alone” and called for Europe and Washington to work to repair transatlantic trust.

Merz said Beijing could, in the foreseeable future, be on an “equal footing” with the United States in military terms.

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.