German Chancellor: The era of unconditional friendship between the United States and the European Union has ended - Sarmad

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the era of unconditional friendship between the United States and the European Union appears to have come to an end.

He indicated that this phase of transatlantic relations is nearing its conclusion in the foreseeable future.

Bloomberg reported that Merz confirmed a shift in the American political mood and a change in the assessment of the Atlantic alliance, something Europeans had not previously anticipated.

The Chancellor’s remarks coincided with a phone call he had with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid escalating American criticism of the European Union, NATO, and their respective leaders.

This tension stems primarily from European allies’ refusal to join the Washington-led military operation against Iran, as well as the U.S. President’s frustration over the low defense spending of alliance members. He is demanding that defense budgets be raised to 5 percent of those countries’ gross domestic product, in addition to his insistence that Europe bear the costs of the war in Ukraine itself.