Berlin, June 11 (RHC)-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the U.S. President Donald Trump's tweets concerning the G-7 summit "sobering and a little depressing."

"It's hard, it's depressing this time, but that's not the end" of the Group of Seven, said Merkel during a televised broadcast on Sunday night.  Merkel added that Europe will implement counter-measures against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, similar to recent measures by Canada.

"So we won't let ourselves be ripped off again and again.  Instead, we act then too," she said.  She added that the EU would also try to avoid retaliation by the U.S. by imposing tariffs on cars.  "First of all, we'll try and see if we can prevent this... And then hope that the EU will respond again in the same unity," she said.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the EU would continue to support the communiqué, which included commitment to a "rules-based international trading system" and a pledge to "continue to fight protectionism."

"We spent two days to obtain a text and commitments.  We will stand by them and anyone who would depart from them, once their back was turned, shows their incoherence and inconsistency," said a statement released by Macron's office.  "International cooperation cannot depend on fits of anger or little words.  Let us be serious and worthy of our people."