Europe may need its own military alliance instead of NATO – German Chancellor candidate

Answering journalists' questions, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suggested that NATO might not survive in its current form. In that case, he believes, Europe may need an independent military alliance, separate from the United States.

Merz stated that Germany can no longer rely on the protection of the American nuclear umbrella. He added that due to this, negotiations should be held with the United Kingdom and France to expand their nuclear support for other European countries.

At the same time, Merz also advocates for strengthening Germany’s armed forces.

NATO and Europe

German leader’s statement comes after US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine has no realistic prospects of joining NATO. Additionally, European leaders were influenced by a tough speech from US Vice President J.D. Vance at the Munich Security Conference. During that speech, Vance criticized European nations and hinted that US support for the EU might not be unconditional.

Vance stated that the real threat does not come from China or Russia, but from within Europe itself, specifically, in its retreat from core values shared with the United States.

In this regard, Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp remarked that Europe is at the beginning of a new era and must learn to rely on itself. He believes the continent must react realistically to Trump’s new policy toward NATO and Europe.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that Ukraine possesses a strong army that could strengthen NATO. He argued that Ukraine’s membership in the alliance would serve mutual interests. Additionally, Zelenskyy called for the creation of a unified European military force.