Despite the frustration and anger of recent months, Europe must not "write off" the transatlantic partnership as a whole too quickly, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday. In a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, he also welcomed the change in US President Donald Trump's rhetoric on the issue of Greenland.
"Europe and its like-minded partners must stand closer together," he said, noting that EU leaders welcome the fact that the US is taking seriously the threat posed by Russia in the Arctic. According to Merz, Berlin and Washington share the conviction that NATO must do more to secure the north.
"With the changing status of Russia and China, the position of the United States is challenging," the German chancellor continued, adding that the West has a choice.
Merz praised Trump, who in his speech the day before rejected the use of force to acquire Greenland for the US. However, he added that Denmark and the people of Greenland "can count on our solidarity."
Trump first spoke about "acquiring" Greenland in February last year, just a few weeks after his inauguration for a second term. Since then, the world's media has repeatedly run headlines saying: "Trump has not ruled out military action against Greenland." However, at the WEF, the US president changed his tune and said he did not intend to use force.
The German chancellor also welcomed Trump's words on the role and viability of the Alliance, describing them as the right direction. "We must not give up on NATO. Despite all the frustration and anger of recent months, let us not be too quick to write off the transatlantic partnership. We Europeans, we Germans, know how precious the trust on which NATO is based is. In an era of superpowers, the United States will also depend on this trust. It is their—and our—decisive competitive advantage," the chancellor emphasized.
Merz supports talks between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In his speech, he also touched on the topic of bureaucracy, which he discussed with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Together, they formulated ideas for modernizing the EU budget and reducing bureaucracy.
Unlike Italy and France, however, he welcomed the ratification of the trade agreement with the South American alliance Mercosur, which has been suspended by the European Court of Justice. The European Parliament cannot approve it for the time being.
"If we want to achieve higher growth in Europe, there is no alternative to the agreement with Mercosur," Merz said, adding that "we will overcome the challenges of the new reality." However, he acknowledged that the old world order is disintegrating at a dizzying pace.
(sab, reuters)