Merkel warned Trump: Europe cannot rely longer on US

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in U.S.-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week, saying that Europe "really must take our fate into our own hands."

It was the toughest review yet of Trump's trip to Europe, which inflamed tensions rather than healing them after the U.S. president sparred with the leaders of Washington's closest and oldest allies on trade, defense and climate change.

The days that Europe could completely rely on others are "over to a certain extent," Merkel warned at a rally in a packed Bavarian beer tent, Reuters reports."I have experienced this in the last few days," she said.  "And that is why I can only say that we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands – of course in friendship with the United States of America, in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbors wherever that is possible also with other countries, even with Russia."

Her impassioned comments indicate her disappointment with the past week's contentious meetings of NATO in Brussels and the Group of 7 in Italy. Merkel had described the climate change talks at the G7 meeting as "very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying."

"But we have to know that we must fight for our future, on our own, for our destiny as Europeans — and that's what I want to do together with you," she added.

The German chancellor did not mention Trump by name in the speech, but her comments highlighted frustrations with the US president, who, in Brussels, had lectured European officials on the German trade surplus, which he said hurts the US economy.

It is not the first time she expressed ideas such as these.

In January, after Trump said in an interview that Nato was "obsolete" and Brexit was a "great thing", she said that "we Europeans have our fate in our own hands."

Since then, with the election of pro-European Emmanuel Macron as French president, Merkel sees an opportunity to strengthen the French-German motor of European integration, while the UK leaves the EU.

But the chancellor's words of caution also aimed to rally support for her campaign, as she seeks a fourth term in September's general election.