NATO given 4-month warning by Germany amid Donald Trump chaos

Germany's likely new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, issued a stark warning that NATO could soon cease to exist in its current form because of Donald Trump.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader said Mr Trump's administration is "largely indifferent to the fate of Europe", causing concerns that NATO might not exist in its current form by the next summit in June.

He said: "My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA. I never thought I would have to say something like this on a television program.

"But after Donald Trump’s statements last week at the latest, it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.

"I am very curious to see how we are heading towards the NATO summit at the end of June ... whether we will still be talking about NATO in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defence capability much more quickly."

Mr Trump congratulated Mr Merz on his assumed win after Sunday's exit polls, calling it a "great day for Germany and for the United States of America".

However, the centre-right CDU leader hit back, likening the tactics of Mr Trump's administration to Russian election interference after Elon Musk endorsed far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

He continued: "I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America. Just look at the recent interventions in the German election campaign by Mr Elon Musk — that is a unique event.

"The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow. We are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now really is to create unity in Europe.

"I am not sure what the American government’s position on this war will be in the coming weeks and months. My impression over the last few days is that Russia and America are coming together here, over the heads of Ukraine and therefore also over the heads of Europe."

The conservatives won 28.6% of the vote over the weekend, and AfD came in second with 20.8%, according to exit polls on Monday. This marks the first time a far-right party formed Germany's main opposition for the first time since the Nazis.

Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democratic Party [SPD] secured the worst result in post-WW2 history, with just 16.4% of the vote. After calling the snap election, he is now expected to step down.

It is now up to Mr Merz to form a coalition government, which may prove difficult as mainstream parties have refused to work with AfD.