Merkel says EU cannot 'fully' rely on the US or UK

We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands' says the German chancellor, the day after a G7 summit.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday urged European Union nations to stick together in the face of emerging policy divisions with the US, Britain's decision to leave the bloc, and other challenges.

Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, Merkel suggested that the two-day G7 summit in Italy that ended on Saturday had served as something of a wakeup call.

G7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after US President Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.

"The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days," Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500 that gathered to hear her and Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer.