German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul announced his rejection of the idea that Europe could fully separate from the United States, stressing that Europe does not have the ability to protect itself without American cooperation. He called for greater efforts toward increased European autonomy, but not in a way that would go beyond cooperation with Washington. He noted that the transatlantic alliance is essential for ensuring Europe’s defense and intelligence security.

Wadephul told Germany’s ZDF television channel that Europe must work harder to become “more independent and sovereign, but not actually independent from America. That would be a separation, and no one wants that—nor is it necessary.”

He added, "Let's have a discussion in which we frankly state what we can and must do more of in Europe and, on the other hand, what the United States represents for us. It is a reliable alliance.”

He pointed out that the United States is fully integrated into NATO, “and without the United States, we would not have sufficient defensive capability in Europe—neither nuclear nor conventional, nor in terms of intelligence information and operations. This must be said very clearly.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had recently called at the Munich Security Conference for relaunching transatlantic relations with the United States through a strong and largely independent European pillar.

Wadephul said that the United States, together with Europe, wants to strengthen the defense alliance to face future challenges. He added that this was also the “extended hand” offered by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the Munich Security Conference—"a hand that, in my view, we should take.”

He noted that the United States is willing to do this jointly with Europe, explaining that “this assumes that we are capable of acting, and for that we must also invest money and move forward with certain other measures.”