German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns that the United States under President Donald Trump has shifted toward a long‑term, hard‑line tariff and “America First” posture that harms even close allies like Germany, arguing Europe must become more self‑reliant, cut dependencies, and strengthen its own defence as US–China rivalry grows. He also defends stricter German border controls and pushes for a functioning EU‑wide asylum system and tougher external border protection, saying it is unsustainable for Germany to receive a disproportionate share of refugees while other EU states “wave them through.”