German leader Friedrich Merz has made it clear that some parts of the US national security strategy are "unacceptable" from a European perspective, making his position known during a visit to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Points of attention
- Merz references Vice President J.D. Vance's Munich speech in his critique, highlighting the alignment of Vance's 'America First' stance with the US national security strategy.
- Merz urges the White House to refrain from unilateral actions and stresses the significance of cooperation between the US and the EU in security matters.
Merz does not hide his indignation
The German Chancellor decided to comment on recent high-profile US statements, in particular regarding their new national security strategy.
According to Friedrich Merz, he was not surprised by the strategy "in essence", especially when you connect it with Vice President J.D. Vance's Munich speech in early 2020.
The German leader drew attention to the fact that Vance voiced identical theses, advocating an "America First" approach.
Merz also publicly acknowledged the fact that certain elements of the new US national security strategy are unacceptable to the European Union.
Against this background, he urged the head of the White House to avoid taking any independent action.
Some of this is understandable, some is acceptable, and some is unacceptable from a European perspective. This confirms my assessment that we in Europe, and therefore in Germany, must become much more independent of the US in terms of security policy.
Friedrich Merz
Chancellor of Germany
