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MERKEL: Germany can no longer 'fully rely' on the US

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Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi (C) gestures to U.S. President Donald Trump as German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) looks on at the G7 Summit expanded session in Taormina, Sicily, Italy May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

German chancellor Angela Merkel distanced herself from the US and the UK during a campaign event in Munich on Sunday.

"The times in which [Germany] could fully rely on others are partly over. I have experienced this in the last few days," Merkel said during the event. "We Europeans really have to take our destiny into our own hands."

Though she did not mention them by name, Merkel was most likely referring to the fractured relationship Germany now shares with the US, as well as with the UK post-Brexit.

Merkel's comments came on the heels of what she called a "difficult" and "unsatisfactory" G7 summit. The summit included leaders of the US, UK, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, and Italy, and Merkel characterized the discussions as "six against one."

Trump's platform often runs counter to those endorsed by other G7 members, especially as it relates to issues like climate change, immigration, and trade. 

At the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, Trump refused to endorse the Paris climate pact, saying he needed more time to decide.

However, Axios reported that Trump had already made his decision. Trump reportedly told multiple people, including Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, that he would be pulling out of the deal, according to three sources with knowledge of the conversations. 

Trudeau TrumpAnd although Trump backed a pledge to fight protectionism during the summit, he has in the past advocated a more protectionist stance on trade, while other G7 members favor free trade.

In April, Trump was said to be considering an executive order which would pull the US out of NAFTA. After a phone call with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican president Peña Nieto, Trump changed his mind and said that he would be open to renegotiating the terms of NAFTA. 

Trump also ran on a platform of cracking down on immigration into the US, both through legal and illegal channels, and including refugee admission.

Merkel, in a decision that was slammed by nationalists like Trump and France's Marine Le Pen, allowed hundreds of thousands of refugees to enter Germany. Trudeau has also signaled that he will open Canada's borders to those fleeing war and terrorism in their own countries. 

In another departure from traditional US foreign policy, Trump criticized key NATO allies at a summit on Thursday and said they were not spending enough on defense. He also warned of more attacks similar to the Manchester bombing unless the alliance did more to stop militants.

potentially radical shift in US-German relations

obama merkelMerkel's differences with Trump stand in stark contrast to the close relationship she shared with former president Barack Obama.

Merkel has repeatedly characterized Obama as a friend and a strong German ally, and Obama called Merkel"one of my favorite partners throughout my presidency" during a visit to Germany's Brandenburg Gate on Thursday. Obama and Merkel met on the same day Merkel was set to meet with Trump during the NATO summit in Brussels.

In an acknowledgement of potential rifts between Germany and the US on the world stage, Merkel emphasized a close Franco-German alliance during her campaign event on Sunday. She wished Macron success in his presidency and said, "Where Germany can help, Germany will help, because Germany can only do well if Europe is doing well."

Her comments mark a radical shift in US-German relations, as well as the American relationship with Western Europe as a whole.

But EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Sunday he was more optimistic now than after the US election last November after EU leaders held talks with Trump in Brussels.

"What I am absolutely sure after this meeting is that despite some extraordinary ... expressions, behaviors, etc, etc," Tusk said, "our partners in the G7 are much more responsible than the first impression after the election in the United States."

SEE ALSO: Homeland security secretary Kelly: 'I don't see any big issue' in Kushner-Russia back-channel

DON'T MISS: European allies see the two sides of Trump

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