Germany's next chancellor warns of NATO's potential decline and calls for European defense unity

Friedrich Merz, likely Germany's next chancellor, warned that NATO could be nearing its end. He suggested Europe should prepare to create an independent defense alliance separate from the U.S. due to concerns over American indifference. Merz criticized Donald Trump's administration, comparing its tactics to those of Moscow. He emphasized the need for European unity in response to perceived pressures from both the U.S. and Russia, especially regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The conservative CDU/CSU bloc won 28.5% of the vote in recent elections, while the far-right AfD received 20.5%. Merz must now form a coalition government, but mainstream parties have ruled out partnering with the AfD.