German Chancellor Angela Merkel thinks the United States is a rival to Europe on par with Russia and China.
According to Newsweek, Merkel met with the German media Wednesday and said things have changed regarding U.S.-Europe relations.
"There is no doubt that Europe needs to reposition itself in a changed world," she said.
". . . The old certainties of the postwar order no longer apply."
China, Russia and the U.S. "are forcing us, time and again, to find common positions. That is often difficult given our different interests. But we do get this done — think, for example, of our policy regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Our policies on Africa, too, now follow a common strategy, which a few years ago would have been unthinkable.
"So, we keep putting one foot in front of the other. However, our political power is not yet commensurate with our economic strength."
President Donald Trump does not mince words when talking about Europe. He has reportedly called on NATO members to pay their fair share to help ease the burden on the U.S. and has threatened to place tariffs on European-made goods that are exported to the U.S.
Trump also criticized unnamed European countries for not doing enough to relocate nearly 2,000 members of the Islamic State (ISIS) who were captured in Syria.
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