Europe at risk if Germany turns its back on U.S., NATO chief says

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 16, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin must not forget Washington's crucial role in allowing Europe and Germany to reunify after the end of the Cold War, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday, after Germany's foreign minister called unity "a gift from Europe".

"The reunification of Germany and Europe would have been impossible without the United States' security guarantee," he said at an event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Any attempt to distance Europe from North America will not only weaken the transatlantic Alliance, it also risks dividing Europe itself."