German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks at the opening of the 62nd Munich Security Conference in southern Germany on February 13. Kay Nietfeld/picture-alliance/dpa/APMunich, Germany —
European leaders focused on the end of the US-led international order on Friday at a combative Munich Security Conference – one of the few points of agreement between Washington and its NATO allies.
German leader Friedrich Merz said the post-1945 settlement “no longer exists” in his opening remarks, but warned leaders of the United States it has reached the limits of its power when acting alone, with its global leadership slipping away.
He also disclosed that he had begun talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent, while French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe “has to become a geopolitical power” in the face of Russian aggression.
Merz’s speech at the gathering in southern Germany, which brings together officials from across the world to discuss international security and hold diplomatic talks, highlighted the growing divide between the United States and Europe.
The German leader, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party, warned that Europe’s freedom “is no longer a given” in an era of big powers ignoring international rules. He condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling for Europe to invest in strengthening its own deterrence. And he openly criticized US President Donald Trump’s administration for its policies on tariffs, climate change and culture wars – remarks that may ruffle feathers in Washington.
But on the demise of the previous world order – underwritten by US-led institutions and alliances – Washington seems in sync.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press on Thursday before boarding his plane at Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, en route to Munich. Alex Brandon/Reuters
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday night as he departed for Munich that “the old world is gone, frankly” and “we live in a new era in geopolitics.”
“It’s going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be,” Rubio added, also noting that Europe is important to the US. “I think they want honesty. They want to know where we’re going, where we’d like to go, where we’d like to go with them.”
The next day, Merz was indeed honest in his assessment of the transatlantic relationship.
“A divide has opened up between Europe and the United States,” Merz said.
“The United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost,” he said.
The German chancellor went on to offer a sort of rebuttal to the combative speech made by US Vice President JD Vance at last year’s conference. Vance’s 2025 remarks lambasted European politicians, claiming they were suppressing free speech, losing control of immigration and refusing to work with hard-right parties in government.
One year on, Merz hit back, saying, “The battle of cultures of MAGA in the US is not ours. Freedom of speech, here (in Germany), ends where the words spoken are directed against human dignity and our basic law.”
“We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade,” Merz added, a line that was met with loud applause.
“We stick to climate agreements and the World Health Organization, because we are convinced that global challenges can only be solved together,” he said to more applause.