BERLIN: Germany`s vice chancellor warned on Wednesday that Europe`s ties with the United States were `disintegrating` as they endure a `historic period of upheaval` under President Donald Trump`s administration.

`The transatlantic alliance is undergoing a much more profound upheaval than we may have been willing to admit until now, Lars Klingbeil, also Germany`s finance minister, said in a speech in Berlin.

`The transatlantic rela-tionship as we have known it is currently disintegrating.` Klingbeil said he had become even more convinced of this in recent days. He paid a visit to Washington this week alongwithForeignMinister Johann Wadephul.

The vice chancellor is from the centre-left SPD party that governs in coalition with the conservative bloc led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and his language is stronger than any used by Merz in re cent times.-AFP