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Merkel's Rival Schulz Against Chancellor's Idea to Stop Rely on US, NATO

© Flickr / Martin SchulzEuropean Parliament President Martin Schulz
European Parliament President Martin Schulz - Sputnik International
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Martin Schulz, a candidate for Germany's chancellorship and leader of Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), considers the idea of boosting EU's military capacity amid fears of Washington's possible abolishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "wrong."

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BERLIN (Sputnik) — The candidate's comments are most likely in reference to US President Donald Trump's campaign, during which the then-Republican nominee questioned the United States' need to remain a part of the alliance.

"I consider it wrong that we should rapidly build up our military capacities following it. We should wait whether the United States really puts NATO into question. I think that this will not happen. And we should work to prevent it," Schulz told the German WDR broadcaster.

Schulz stressed that the issue should not "solely circulate around Trump," since the majority of US senators do not question the necessity of NATO.

In April, however, Trump noted that the United States would take steps toward enhancing NATO, adding that the alliance was not obsolete, which is contrary to the claim he made during his presidential campaign.

The comment followed a recent statement made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel about how Europe could no longer rely on its longstanding partners and should "take its fate into its own hands." The chancellors remarks were considered by some to be a reference to relations between Brussels and Washington.

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