German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin had begun talks with France a few European nuclear deterrent, while President Emmanuel Macron said Europe needed to develop into a geopolitical power given the Russian threat wouldn’t disappear.
Merz, who said the region needed to develop into stronger in an effort to reset its relationship with the USA, called in a speech to open the Munich Security Conference, on Washington to “repair and revive trust” in a dangerous latest era of great power politics, warning the U.S. couldn’t go it alone because the old global order crumbles.
He was later followed by Macron, who pushed back on criticism of the continent, but said it was time that Europe was more assertive and ready itself with a stronger security architecture.
The speeches underscored how European leaders are increasingly trying to carve an independent path after a yr of unprecedented upheaval in transatlantic ties, while also striving to keep up their alliance with Washington.
Europe faces myriad threats from Russia’s war in Ukraine to massive ruptures in global trade.
“I actually have begun confidential talks with the French President on European nuclear deterrence,” Merz said. “We Germans are adhering to our legal obligations. We see this as strictly embedded inside our nuclear sharing in NATO. And we is not going to allow zones of differing security to emerge in Europe.”
FRANCE IS EU’S ONLY NUCLEAR POWER
Macron is on account of make a speech on the nuclear deterrent later this month.
He said the consultations with Germany and other leaders were a part of a broader discussion that included conventional deep strikes capabilities, which Europe doesn’t possess unlike Russia, and the role of France’s nuclear deterrent.
“That is the fitting time for audacity. That is the fitting time for a powerful Europe,” Macron said. “Europe has to learn to develop into a geopolitical power. It was not a part of our DNA.”
Get day by day National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
“We now have to reshuffle and reorganise our architecture of security in Europe. Since the past architecture of security was totally designed and framed during Cold War times. So it’s now not adapted,” he said.
European nations have long relied heavily on the USA, including its large nuclear arsenal, for his or her defence but have been increasing military spending, partly in response to sharp criticism from the Trump administration.
While Germany is currently banned from developing a nuclear weapon under international agreements, France is the European Union’s only nuclear power following Britain’s departure from the bloc and has the world’s fourth-largest stockpile.
Taking his cue from those warning that the international rules-based order was about to be destroyed, Merz said: “I fear we must put it much more bluntly: This order, nonetheless imperfect it was even at its best, now not exists in that form.”
Switching to English at the top, Merz said: “Within the era of great power rivalry, even the USA is not going to be powerful enough to go it alone. Dear friends, being an element of NATO just isn’t only Europe’s competitive advantage. Additionally it is the USA’ competitive advantage.”
“So let’s repair and revive transatlantic trust together,” he added.
Defence Minister David McGuinty told a panel on defence industrial cooperation on the conference that Canada was strengthening its ties with Europe on defence procurement and security. He didn’t mention the U.S. but affirmed Canada was stepping up its defence spending and capabilities with help from diverse partners.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a top Democrat on multiple foreign relations and defence committees, told the identical panel that America must adopt the identical approach of cooperation in an effort to counter China and Russia.
When asked if he believes the Trump administration is following that advice, nonetheless, Coons acknowledged he didn’t.
“That could be a core concern,” he said, citing the recent push to accumulate Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark.
“Our core attitude should be, we only get through this with our allies.”
A YEAR AFTER VANCE BLAST, RUBIO STRIKES WARMER TONE
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also said transatlantic ties faced a “defining moment” in a rapidly changing world but struck a more conciliatory tone that contrasted with remarks by Vice President JD Vance in 2025.
At the identical gathering of top security officials last yr, Vance had attacked European allies in a speech that marked the beginning of a series of confrontations.
“I feel it’s at a defining moment … the world is changing very fast right in front of us,” Rubio said before departing for Munich.
“(The U.S. is) deeply tied to Europe, and our futures have all the time been linked and can proceed to be,” said Rubio, who’s a potential rival to Vance for the 2028 U.S. presidential race. “So we’ve just got to discuss what that future looks like.”
Transatlantic ties have long been central to the Munich Security Conference, which began as a Cold War forum for Western defence debate. However the unquestioned assumption of cooperation that underpinned it has been upended.
Underscoring the damage, a YouGov poll on Friday of the six largest European countries showed favourability towards the U.S. in Europe hitting its lowest since tracking began in 2016.
The newest figures are broadly comparable to – and in some cases higher than – the perceived threat from China, Iran or North Korea, although behind Russia, YouGov said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has toppled Venezuela’s leader, threatened other Latin American countries with similar military motion, imposed tariffs on friends and foes alike and talked openly about annexing Greenland – a move that would effectively end the NATO alliance.
Last yr’s speech by Vance accused European leaders of censoring free speech and failing to manage immigration, which Merz explicitly rejected.
“A rift has opened up between Europe and the USA. Vice President JD Vance said this very openly here in Munich a yr ago,” Merz said.
“He was right. The culture war of the MAGA movement just isn’t ours. Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the structure. We don’t imagine in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade,” he said, drawing applause.
—With additional files from Global News