ISTANBUL

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that the US is pivoting from a rules-based international order toward a policy driven strictly by power and national interests, urging Europe to assert itself.

"We are experiencing that our most important ally in the world – and that is still the United States of America – is turning away from a rules-based order," Merz said at a Christian Democratic Union (CDU) event in Heddesheim.

Instead of orienting toward international law, Merz observed that the development of US policy is moving "towards a purely power- and interest-led politics."

The chancellor emphasized that Europe cannot afford to "bury our heads in the sand" or attempt to survive in a geopolitical niche, warning that the strategy would fail.

Addressing the trans-Atlantic dynamic under US President Donald Trump, Merz suggested that criticism is futile if the administration remains convinced of its course.

"But they (Americans) will not look at us if we make ourselves small, if we duck away, but they will only respect us if we have alliance partners in Europe who speak the same language as us," he stated.

Touching on domestic challenges, Merz added that preserving the country's industrial base is essential, noting that the solution to these problems lies "in our hand."