New US National Security Strategy shows Europe must become more independent - Merz
The new US national security strategy is making it clear to Europe that it is time to pursue a more independent policy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday.
"This document confirmed my assessment that we in Europe, in Germany too, must become more independent of the US in the field of security. This is not a surprise, but it has been confirmed again. This is now documented," the Associated Press quoted Merz as saying.
In addition, Merz also rejected the idea that European democracy needs a "rescue."
"I see no need for the Americans to save democracy in Europe now. If it needed to be saved, we would cope with it ourselves," the German Chancellor stressed.
Earlier, the US administration unveiled the country's new national security strategy. It stated, in particular, that "one of the priorities of European policy should be to ensure the independence of Europe, acting as an organized group of sovereign states, which, in particular, assume primary responsibility for their own defense capabilities and are not dominated by any adversary." The document also called the goal of US policy in Europe encouraging resistance in European countries to their current development trajectory.