First of all, Europe seems a little caught off guard by the tightening of the international context. What can we say about it?
Donald Trump, like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, is reviving the division of the world into zones of influence, with the United States having ambitions in the Western sphere, which explains the American intervention in Venezuela, the plans to annex Greenland and its threats to make Canada the 51st American state. Europe, champion of a multilateral order, is having difficulty adapting to this return of realpolitik.
The motto of this year’s Munich Security Conference – “In the process of destruction†– aptly describes this erosion of the international system. At the same time, it is also an opportunity to bring out new ideas and new initiatives. Thus, during the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, affirmed: “geopolitical shocks can and must constitute an opportunity for Europe. HAS”
You mentioned Greenland which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. What was Chancellor Merz’s reaction to Donald Trump’s declarations on his desire to annex this Arctic territory?
Germany was one of the EU member states, which with Norway and the United Kingdom sent soldiers to Greenland last January as part of “a reconnaissance mission” at the instigation of Denmark, when tensions with the United States were at their highest.
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Denmark could “unreservedly count on European solidarity”. He stressed that European NATO partners must do more to ensure security in the High North, as this is a common transatlantic interest. Remember that like the other participants in the “reconnaissance mission”, Germany was threatened with the implementation of American customs duties. But these threats were ultimately not carried out.
On other subjects of international tension, Friedrich Merz has been criticized for a selective application of international law. Could you come back to that?
Indeed, Laurence. Friedrich Merz was evasive about the capture of Nicolas Maduro and its compliance with international law, contenting himself with mentioning that the legal situation was “complex”. In the same way, the German Chancellor made headlines in June 2025, by declaring that Israel and the United States do the “dirty work” for the West. In other words: “the end justifies the means”.
In March 2026, shortly after the start of the attack launched by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the chancellor explained to the press that he had no intention of “lecturing” Donald Trump on international law, evoking a dilemma due to the nuclear issue and the oppression of the population by the Iranian regime. Note, however, that the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier considered that the attacks constituted a violation of international law.
Since then, the tone seems to have risen again between Germany and the United States…
Indeed, Laurence. Friedrich Merz made unfortunate comments during a visit to a school in Sauerland during an exchange with students, saying that the United States clearly had no exit strategy in relation to the intervention in Iran and that the American nation was being humiliated by Iran.
Annoyed, the American president announced the withdrawal of 5,000 American soldiers stationed in Germany, adding to this announcements of additional customs duties of 25% on automobiles from the EU. German-American tensions are therefore particularly palpable. Joschka Fischer, the former German foreign minister under the Schröder government, recently signed an article in Le Monde where he speaks of a “post-American future of Europe” believing that “the dissolution of NATO has already begun “.
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