Germany’s Merz: Europe Needs Its Own Defense Alliance as NATO’s Future Is in Doubt

Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz raised doubts on Sunday about whether NATO would still exist “as it is now” by June, following remarks from Donald Trump’s administration.

“I am very curious to see how we are heading toward the NATO summit at the end of June. Whether we will still be talking about NATO in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defense capability much more quickly,” Merz told German public broadcaster ARD after his conservatives won a national election.

Merz, who is set to become Germany’s next Chancellor, said that the Trump administration is ignoring Europe and growing closer to Russia. He urged the continent to boost its defenses quickly and even consider a NATO alternative in the coming months.

“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” he said.

Merz, a strong supporter of NATO, said that he never imagined he’d be making such a statement. However, Trump’s recent rhetoric caused him to reevaluate.

“I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump’s remarks last week...it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe.”

Among other things, the American president claimed that Ukraine started the war and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a dictator.

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Just days ago, Merz proposed talks with France and the UK about replacing America’s “nuclear umbrella,” which has been Europe’s main protection against a Russian attack.

With Trump possibly rethinking NATO commitments, Merz argues that Europe must be ready for a future where it can’t rely on US military support.

Germany itself doesn’t have nuclear weapons, but US warheads are stored on German soil and could be deployed by German aircraft in case of war.

Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance won Germany’s recent elections with 28.6% of the vote, and he plans to form a government by April 20. Known for his tough stance on Russia, he has signalled that Ukraine could finally get German long-range Taurus missiles – something outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz repeatedly refused.

Merz has also been supporting the call to deliver combat aircraft to Ukraine to help it “restore sovereignty over its own airspace” in light of continuing Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.

Merz, speaking on German television on July 14, said the situation “cannot be taken under control only from the ground,” and that “Germans cannot stand aside” as Kyiv’s other Western allies have already reached a consensus on fighter deliveries.

“I believe that we should help Ukraine to at least restore sovereignty over its own airspace. Since these missile attacks against infrastructure, electricity and water supply facilities, on hospitals and homes for the elderly, which are now happening more and more, cannot be taken under control only from the ground,” Merz said, as reported by Deutsche Welle (DW) citing the television interview.