May 10, 2018

Merkel says Europe can no longer rely on U.S. protection

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron gesture on the balcony of the town hall of Aachen

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that there are threats "at Europe's doorstep," and that U.S. protection is not implicitly reliable anymore, explaining that "[i]t’s no longer the case that the United States will simply just protect us,” reports Newsweek.

The big picture: Her comments demanding a more coordinated foreign policy effort across Europe come in a moment of growing tension between Washington and its European allies, after President Trump decided to leave the Iran deal against the explicit recommendation of France and Germany. French President Emmanuel Macron echoed Merkel's warning explaining “[w]e made the choice to build peace in the Middle East."

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