Among other top leaders of NATO, President Trump has his different view, attacks German Chancellor for "being hostage" of Russia; and refused to give a hand to UK Prime Minister Theresa May
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
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| Wiith all NATO members, Donald Trump has another view |
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| Trump meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel |
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United Kingdom's Prime Minister Theresa May and Donald Trump
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VietPress USA (July 11, 2018): In his first interview with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Donald Trump pulled out of Germany heavily.
Donald Trump's attack on Germany is not entirely unexpected. It is the US President's opinion that Germany is doing too little to reduce its considerable trade surplus with the United States. That is the main reason why Angela Merkel at the NATO summit in Brussels is likely to be the only one, but it is not certain that Trump will say so in words. The high mass of NATO should be about security and defense, not about doing business.
In his first attack on Merkel he accused Germany of being a 'hostage' of Russia because the German government wants to get gas from Russia through the new gas pipeline Nord Stream 2. "We are supposed to form a block against Russia, but Germany is giving billions of dollars a year to Russia."
Germany may also be tipped off because, like most NATO, countries, does not spend two percent of its GDP on defense. In 2018 Germany will give 1.28 percent of defense, which is more than the 0.9 percent of Belgium. Germany is more tackled than Belgium because it is larger and important and therefore serves as an example, but also because Trump has to settle that other account with Germany.
It has also never personally clicked between the two heads of government. During their first meeting, Trump even refused to give Angela Merkel a hand. Merkel is a bit stiffer than the French president Emmanuel Macron, who plays the smooth buddy with the American president. France is seen in Washington as an important ally in Syria and in the Sahel.
In order to put Germany under pressure to do something about its trade surplus, it can not be ruled out that Trump will threaten to pull American troops (35,000 soldiers) from Germany. That would put many jobs on the road for Germany. It would not be a good idea for the United States, because Germany offers several logistic hubs to bring American troops to other parts of the world
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No shove, but Trump body language speaks to frosty relations
Trump started the day with a tense breakfast meeting with Jens Stoltenberg in which he lectured the NATO leader about member defense spending and complained about a German pipeline deal with Russia. Arms crossed over his chest, Trump gestured at Stoltenberg and repeatedly interrupted the secretary-general as he argued his case.
Their subsequent encounters at NATO headquarters were formal and less strained as they twice shook hands and chatted in front of journalists. But those moments were more perfunctory than Stoltenberg's chattier introductions with other leaders, many of whom Stoltenberg was seeing for the first time that day after he had spent part of the morning hosting Trump.
World leader summits are largely about optics and presenting a united front to the rest of the world. But Trump barreled into his second NATO summit, as he did his first, and with a litany of public complaints about alliance members' "delinquent" defense spending, as well as a German-Russian gas pipeline deal.
Showing unity seemed an afterthought for the "America First" president. And it showed.
During moments that were visible to the press, Trump often separated himself from most of his counterparts, particularly those with whom he has had public disagreements, such as British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canada's Justin Trudeau.
When the leaders strolled out of the gleaming NATO building in Brussels for the traditional family photo in the courtyard, Trump lingered behind and mostly spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
On the dais, he and May chatted as they stood together, but Trump kept his back toward other leaders, including Merkel.
After the group moved inside for talks, Trump again hung back as other heads of state glad-handed around the room. He stayed close to members of his delegation, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, before eventually engaging in a brief round of back-slapping with others, including again May, before taking his seat.
Trump has harshly criticized May, Merkel and Trudeau since taking office and opened Wednesday with another broadside against Merkel, asserting that her country is "totally controlled" and "captive" to Russia as he objected to a deal to bring Russian natural gas directly to Germany.
Merkel pushed back, insisting that Germany makes its own decisions. When the two met later Wednesday, Trump told reporters: "We have a very, very good relationship with the chancellor." The comment illustrated how Trump often seeks to avoid conflict with people when he is face to face with them versus the often-harsher rhetoric he uses when he's talking behind their back. Merkel was not present at Trump's breakfast with Stoltenberg.
When it was her turn to address reporters in the room for the meeting with Trump, Merkel made no similar declaration about her relationship with Trump.
The two barely looked at each other during the few minutes journalists were allowed in the room. That was in stark contrast to Trump's subsequent meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Frenchman is one of Trump's closest friends on the world stage despite their many areas of disagreement, including Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris climate accord, and to impose tariffs on France and other European countries.
Trump and Macron bantered easily during their joint photo op, with Trump calling it "an honor to be with a friend of mine." The two also chatted each other up as Macron walked Trump out of the NATO building at the end of the day.
By evening, arriving at a dinner hosted by the Belgian government at the Art and History Museum at the Cinquantenaire, Trump appeared to be in a more social mood. The president, who doesn't drink alcohol, huddled during the cocktail reception with Stoltenberg for several minutes, before being joined by Merkel for an animated discussion. As her husband spoke again with Erdogan, first lady Melania Trump was greeted warmly by Trudeau.
At last year's NATO summit, tongues wagged after Trump appeared to shove Prime Minister Dusko Markovic of Montenegro to get to the front of the group as leaders entered the alliance's new headquarters building. Markovic later characterized the incident as "a completely harmless event."
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Superville reported from Washington. AP writer Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.
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