Germany’s Merz says US friendship since war ‘probably over’ for now

BERLIN – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the era of “unconditional” ties between the US and Europe built since World War II are over, at least for now, the latest pronouncement of a breakdown in relations under US President Donald Trump’s presidency. “This era of unconditional transatlantic friendship is probably over for the foreseeable future,” Merz told party members in Berlin on Sept 17. “On the other side of the Atlantic, we are seeing a change in political attitudes, a change in the assessment of the transatlantic alliance, which we might not have thought possible.”Merz, giving a stump speech at his conservative party headquarters ahead of the Berlin state election on Sept 20, contrasted the current US relationship to past visits by American presidents to the German capital, citing famous speeches by John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. His comments came the same day that he spoke on the phone with Trump, where the two “emphasised the special bond between Germans and Americans”, according to a German government spokesman. The pair also discussed US efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as the ongoing trade friction in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.Merz’ speech came as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed an overture to become an “associate member” of the European Union this week. Trump responded by threatening a new round of tariffs against the 27-member bloc if he deems the new relationship to be harmful to the US. Trump lauded a shock victory by Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany in a state election earlier in September, an event that has shaken the country’s political establishment and raised calls for Merz to step aside. Merz has a track record of provoking the Trump administration with his rhetoric. In April, he told a group of school students that US negotiators seeking a way out of the war with Iran were being “humiliated”. The US President responded with an announcement of the withdrawal of some 5,000 troops from the country. The comments echo those made by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, who in May 2017, during Trump’s first term, told a rally that reliable relationships forged since World War II “are to some extent over”. The comments triggered global attention. BLOOMBERG