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Merkel Says Europe Can No Longer 'Completely Depend' On U.S., U.K.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy, on May 26.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy, on May 26.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on May 28 that Europe can no longer "completely depend" on the United States and the United Kingdom after the election of President Donald Trump and the Brexit vote.

Merkel told an election rally in Munich that while it’s important to maintain friendly relations with allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom, she could no longer “fully count on” them and that Europeans must take their "destiny" into their own hands.

"The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days," Merkel said.

“We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands,” she added.

Merkel’s comments came a day after a meeting of the leaders of seven wealthy democracies in Sicily failed to end in a deal to uphold the Paris climate accord, while there was also a split on trade and the question of refugees.

During a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels on May 26, Trump sharply criticized Germany for failing to meet NATO military spending targets and reportedly complained about German auto exports.

Based on reporting by The Guardian, BBC, and The Huffington Post

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