New German Chancellor Merz says 'priority' is to make county, Europe independent of Trump-era USA

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his unofficial victory Sunday that a top priority is to make his country and the rest of Europe stronger so that they can become independent from the U.S. with President Donald Trump in office.

“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” Merz said, according to the news outlet Politico . 

He also said Trump's recent comments show "Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.” 

Merz was not specific about Trump comments, but the president has vowed to pull the U.S. out of NATO if member states don't pay their share. 

Earlier this month, Vice President JD Vance in a public address in Munich, accused Europe of censoring free speech. 

Merz is also suggesting Europe might have to form its own military defense alliance – amid the potential end of decades-old NATO, the 32-member military alliance of 30 European countries, the U.S. and Canada.

“I am very curious to see how we are heading toward the NATO summit at the end of June," Merz said. "Whether we will still be talking about NATO in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defense capability much more quickly."