"I'm waiting for his inauguration, as is proper," the German chancellor said. | Don Emmert/Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images Angela Merkel: We’ll respond to Trump’s criticism when he takes office Germany will ‘obviously cooperate with the new US government.’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she would wait until Donald Trump's inauguration to respond to his statement that Germany had put Europe in danger by allowing refugees into the country.

"I'm waiting for his inauguration, as is proper," the chancellor said in Berlin. "Then we'll work with him on all levels. He has just stated his positions, which have been known for quite some time. My positions are also known."

In an interview with the Times of London and German newspaper Bild, Trump said he believed Merkel made a ­"catastrophic mistake" when she opened the borders at the height of the migration crisis, ­adding that the EU had become "a vehicle for Germany."

"Once he’s in office, which he still isn’t, we’ll obviously cooperate with the new U.S. government and see what kind of agreement we can reach," Merkel said.

She also urged her counterparts to distinguish the refugee crisis from Europe's struggle to deal with terror attacks. The EU is well-equipped to face the terror threat, she said, adding: "Our fate as Europeans, I'd say, lies in our own hands."