German Chancellor: Era of "Unconditional" US-Europe Friendship Over

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that the era of "unconditional" friendship between the United States and Europe, established since World War II, has currently ended. This statement reflects the deterioration of transatlantic relations, particularly during the presidency of Donald Trump. Speaking to members of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Berlin, Merz affirmed that "this era of unconditional transatlantic friendship has most likely ended in the near future." He added that "on the other side of the Atlantic, we are witnessing a change in political attitudes and in the assessment of the transatlantic alliance, a change that perhaps we did not believe was possible," according to Bloomberg.