German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends the International Charlemagne Prize (Karlspreis) 2025 ceremony in Aachen, Germany, May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen/Pool
BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said Europe was prepared to fight if necessary for its core values of freedom and democracy, in an explicit riposte to the Trump administration's repeated criticisms of the European Union.
Speaking at a ceremony to award European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen the Charlemagne Prize, Merz also repeated that Europe did not want an escalation in its tariff dispute with the United States that harmed both sides.
