Europe needs to step up its presence on the international stage, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today after meeting India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Berlin.
"The trans-Atlantic partnership is of outstanding importance and what I said was merely meant to note that in view of the current situation there are more reasons ... for us in Europe to take our fate into our own hands," Merkel told reporters at a joint news conference with Modi.
"Europe needs to step up its presence on the international stage, for example by bringing about solutions to issues such as the Libya conflict, migration and economic problems including unemployment," Reuters cited him as saying.
Merkel sent her strongest message following the G7 summit that Europe is drifting apart from the United States under President Donald Trump, saying that Europe can no longer completely rely on its allies.
Yesterday, Germany's foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel launched a scathing criticism of Donald Trump, claiming the US President's actions have "weakened" the West and accusing the US government of standing "against the interests of the European Union."
"Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk," Gabriel said.
"The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union. The West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker," he added.
The Social Democrats' candidate Martin Schulz, doubled down on Merkel's Sunday comments, saying the summits made it clear that Trump was a president "who wants to humiliate others, who presents himself like an authoritarian ruler".
"Europe is the answer, and stronger cooperation between the European countries at all levels is the answer to Donald Trump," Schulz said.
"And above all else, we must not submit to Trump's arms-race logic," he added.
Trump criticized Germany’s trade surplus with the United States on Tuesday, tying the issue to Berlin’s military spending.
“We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change,” he tweeted.
