BERLIN/JERUSALEM: Germany`s election winner Friedrich Merz warned the United States on Monday against turning its back on allies but also urged Europeans to build up their own defence capabilities, saying it was now `five minutes to midnight for Europe`.

His comments underscored the turmoil engulfing the transatlantic alliance since the re-election of US President Donald Trump and fears he could strike a dealwith Russia over Ukraine while Kyiv and Europe just watch from the sidelines.

Merz`s conservatives are looking to quickly form a government after winning a national election on Sunday but face tricky coalition talks and the prospect of an obstructive parliament after far-rightand far-left parties surged.

Time is pressing for Europe`s ailing largest economy. German businesses are demanding help to remain globally competitive, society is split over migration and the new government must also deal with a confrontational Trump administration threatening tariffs as well as a hostile Russia and an assertive China.

`And what we also see with the greatest concern, of course, is the attempt (by Trump) to make a deal with Russia on Ukraine over the heads of the Europeans, over the heads of Ukraine,` Merz told a press conference. `It will come as no surprise to you when I say that this is unacceptable both for Ukraine and for Europe,` Merz said, adding it would be difficult if those who put `America First` actually made their motto `America Alone`.

His conservative bloc wants to ally with Olaf Scholz`s Social Democrats (SPD), who came in third, after the farright Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to a historic second place. But Merz`s bid for an alliance with the SPDcomes after a bruising campaign that highlighted deep policy divisions, in particular over migration.

The SPD, smarting from its worst post-war result, may set a high price for any deal. The AfD and the radical Left Party jointly secured one third of seats in the new parliament, enough to block constitutional changes needed to loosen state borrowing limits changes that some econo-mists say are crucial to revive the flagging economy.

Invitation to Israeli PM Merz said on Monday he had invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit and would find a way for him to do so without being arrested under a warrant by the International Criminal Court.

`I think it is a completely absurd idea that an Israeliprime minister cannot visit the Federal Republic of Germany,` Merz said at a press conference. Merz said he had told Netanyahu by phone `that we would find ways and means for him to visit Germany and leave again without being arrested`.

Netanyahu`s office said the Israeli leader had congratulated Merz. It also said Merz had told Netanyahu he would invite him to Germany `in defiance of the scandalous International Criminal Court decision to label the prime minister a war criminal`.

The Hague-based ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister as well as Hamas officials for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. All 27 EU countries including Germany are signatories of the founding treaty of the court, the only permanent international tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity, which requires members to arrest its suspects on their territory.

The ICC said that states have a legal obligation to enforce its decisions, and any concerns they may haveshould be addressed with the court in a timely and efficient manner. `It is not for states to unilaterally determine the soundness of the court`s legal decisions,` said the ICC. Israel rejects the jurisdiction of the court and denies war crimes.

Germans feel a special responsibility towards Israel due to the legacy of the Holocaust, and Merz has made clear he is a strong ally. But Germany also has a strong tradition of support for international justice for war crimes.

The Left party called Merz`s invitation a `disaster` and accused him of `double standards`. Germany has always insisted that international arrest warrants must be implemented, said Left coleader Jan van Aken. `If Vladimir Putin comes to Germany, then this arrest warrant must be implemented. The same applies to Netanyahu,` said Aken, referring to an ICC arrest warrant issued for the Russian leader over the deportation of children from Ukraine.

Tough talks ahead Merz, who has no previous experience in office, aims tohave a government by Easter, though the SPD warned its support was not a given. In the election campaign, Merz promised a radical crackdown on immigration, saying he would not compromise on the issue. He drew sharp SPD criticism for pushing a parliamentary resolution on migration last month with support from the AfD.

The move was seen by critics as an unforgivable breach of a political quarantine to keep the AfD out of power.

SPD politicians said they could no longer trust Merz as a result. Analysts say the pressure is on for the next coalition to come together quickly to hold its own against the Trump administration, and to fend off the AfD by showing that mainstream parties can address voters`concerns.

If it does not, then the 12-year-old AfD, which is set to be the largest opposition party in the Bundestag, could be a frontrunner for the next elections set for 2029. Musk reaffirmed his support for the party on Monday, predicting on X that the Af D `will be the majority party by the next election`.-Reuters