German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on the United States and Europe to “repair and revive transatlantic trust together” during an address at the Munich Security Conference. Merz began his remarks on Friday at the annual meeting of top global security figures with an appeal for unity, arguing that Washington also benefits from its role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The statement contrasted remarks by US Vice President JD Vance last year, who used his appearance at the event to chastise European leaders for their funding commitments to NATO. 'Let me begin with the uncomfortable truth: A rift, a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States,' Merz said. Referencing Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, Merz also warned that Europe did not need to move in the same political direction as the US, saying the 'culture war of the MAGA movement is not ours'. Directly appealing to the Trump administration, he added: 'In the era of great power rivalry, even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also speaking at the conference, said the US is 'very tightly linked together with Europe' and that 'We live in a new era in geopolitics'. Merz also confirmed he was holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on 'European nuclear deterrence', as calls for a European nuclear umbrella gain momentum amid the wider US strategic pivot away from Europe.