Germany’s new leader has accused Donald Trump of being “largely indifferent to the fate of Europe” as he delivered a brutal verdict on the US president’s first month in office.

Friedrich Merz was speaking as it was confirmed that his conservative CDU/CSU party has won the German election.

He is now expected to form a coalition government with the centre-left Social Democrats to keep out the far-right AfD, who came second after a surge in support.

Merz 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 programme. 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.”

He was seemingly referring to the US president’s comments on the Ukraine war, including his suggestion that Russia did not start the conflict, his description of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator” and his insistence that US troops will play no part in maintaining any peace deal.

And while US defence secretary Pete Hesgeth has said America remains committed to the Nato alliance, Trump has said its European members must dramatically increase the amount they spend on defence.

Merz said: “I am very curious to see how we are heading toward 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.”

The German chancellor-elect also hit out at Elon Musk’s vocal support for the AfD during the election campaign, comparing it to Russian interference.

“I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America,” Merz said. “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.”