Merkel spoke today after meeting with the leaders of the United States, Spain, Italy, France and Britain.
Asked how she sees her short- and long-term responsibilities, Merkel downplayed descriptions of herself as the last great defender of Western values following Donald Trump's election.
"One person alone can never solve everything," Merkel told reporters.
Instead, she vowed to "perform my task as German chancellor, which on the one hand is to serve the people of Germany but it also includes working for the cohesion and success of Europe."