Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that Germany will remain dependent on the United States for a long time. He expressed this opinion during a speech at the Family Business Day forum in Berlin.

“Whether we [i.e. Germany] like it or not, we will remain dependent on the United States of America for a long time,” the German Chancellor said.

Also, Merz noted that “in recent years, many have allegedly been deprived of Germany’s leadership role.”

“And this was not only the last three years [of the previous German government],” he added.

“The unification of Germany would have been impossible if we had not enjoyed the unconditional trust of our European neighbors and partners—the Americans—and the then Soviet Union,” Merz said.

In his view, Germany now needs to "earn this trust in the international arena."