Merkel: Europe Can No Longer Rely on US «to Protect It»

Local Editor

As European countries failed to prevent Donald Trump from pulling Washington out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the tension between Iran and the US escalates.

"It is no longer such that the United States simply protects us, but Europe must take its destiny in its own hands, that's the task of the future," Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday after US President Donald Trump announced his withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.

Merkel's point of view on the issue echoes the earlier statement of the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, who noted this Thursday, that Washington "had lost vigor, and because of it, in the long term, influence," suggesting that Europe should take over the US' role as global leader.

Donald Trump announced this Tuesday, that he was withdrawing his country from JCPOA, which is also known as the Iran nuclear deal, causing a major backlash among the European allies of the US. He has also promised to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Tehran in response to the development of the nuclear program.

In his turn, French President Emmanuel Macron said on his Twitter account, that France, Germany, and the UK regret the US decision to leave the JCPOA, warning that the nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake.

Reacting to the Trump's decision, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov underlined, that Moscow would remain committed to the deal, as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also said that Tehran was not going to leave the JCPOA.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team