European security

Merkel: Europe can't rely on US ‘superpower'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Europe could no longer rely on the “superpower” of the United States, marking the latest verbal spat between transatlantic allies now feuding over everything from defense to trade.

"We can't rely on the superpower of the United States," Merkel told a news conference in Berlin, Reuters reports.

This is all good: Washington’s European allies – and Germany in particular – have locked horns with Donald Trump’s abrasive approach towards transatlantic defense and trade.

During his European tour, the US president chided NATO states for not spending more on defense, accused Germany being a “captive”of Russia, and stated flatly that he considered the European Union a “foe” for “what they do to us in trade.”

His performance in Brussels – where NATO met last week for its annual summit – was widely criticized, with the Germans in particular issuing several curt rebukes.

“We can no longer completely rely on the White House,” Maas said while speaking to German media on Monday, in response to Trump’s strong-arm tactics.