What they argued and found that total trump and Merkel
The first meeting between Donald trump and Angela Merkel, which took place on Friday in Washington, was expected with great interest. After all, the local press and experts have called them almost opposites. Both times were critical about the attitudes and statements of each other.
Trump is impulsive, emotional. His approaches challenge the traditional thinking of Western elites and more in tune with the rising popularity of nationalist sentiments in the Old world. He criticized the historical alliances, open borders in Europe, free trade, and the European Union called “engine for the interests of Germany”. Merkel is reticent, cold-blooded.
In a traditional key for Western policy in recent decades, she is a supporter of globalization, its liberal approach to trade and immigration. It is now in the West is sometimes called “the new leader of the free world” and not in the White house, as was usual.
And if it is about the “free world” while there is no consensus, something about the leadership of Germany in the EU, no doubt. But because of trump and Merkel will largely depend on not only bilateral relations between Washington and Berlin, but the fate of relations between the United States and the European Union.
The meeting ended with a slight curiosity. Photographers asked smiling leaders shaking hands for Protocol shooting. Merkel turned to the Tramp and asked him if he was ready to shake hands, but he probably did not hear, ignored the proposal. However, according to local media reports, the President took the Chancellor emphasized respectful. He personally greeted her on the doorstep of the White house, held out his hand and hugged to draw the visitor inside.
Polite disagreement
During the press conference, the two leaders did not hide disagreements, but generally avoided sharp statements and not passed on to the individual, expressing the desire to find a compromise in bilateral relations.
Trump called Merkel’s visit to the White house “a great honour”, noting that the two countries “have a lot in common, including the pursuit of security, prosperity and peace”. He considers the Alliance of the US and Germany “is a symbol of strength and cooperation” to the world. Merkel remarked that “were discussed and those issues where the two countries have differences” and called for “honest dialogue”.
The owner of the White house in response to sharp questions from reporters did not hesitate to defend their views. “Immigration is a privilege, not a right. The safety of our citizens should stand above everything else,” he said, defending his decision to toughen the migration regime and the suspension of refugee programmes in the United States. Merkel, criticized these decisions, agreed with the need to protect the external borders.
However, she pointed out the importance of “freedom of movement in the EU” and focused on the interests of the refugees: “They need opportunities to build their lives where they were”.
The US President lamented that the media often incorrectly interpreterpath his statements. When a journalist in his question, called him an isolationist policy, trump retorted: “I’m not isolationist. I’m for free trade. But for fair trade.” He again criticized globalization and trade agreements of his predecessors, complaining of the infringement of the interests of American workers and promised to “end it”.
Merkel echoed: “Trade must be more fair, mutually beneficial”. But then emphasized the importance of integration processes, their “value for Europe”. She recalled the free trade agreements of the EU with South Korea and Canada, insisting that it is beneficial to all parties.
It is noteworthy that Merkel expressed hope for a resumption of consultations between the EU and the USA agreement establishing a free trade zone. These negotiations continued for several years, but to complete their when the Obama administration failed. Experts have expressed doubts about the prospects for their continuation, because trump was critical of such contracts.
In the first days of his presidency, he withdrew the signature of its predecessor under the TRANS-Pacific partnership (TPP, a free trade Pact involving 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region). He was referring to the tendency to bilateral treaties, which is unthinkable for the EU.
Trump on the proposal of the Chancellor did not answer, limiting the expression of readiness to discuss a “fair and reciprocal trade policy for the benefit of both peoples.” He’s a little stuck Merkel, expressing the view that in trade negotiations, “the German negotiators has achieved a lot more than the us”. “But I hope we can equalize the situation. We don’t need to win but need equality”, he added.
He pointed out the obvious, in his view, the imbalances in NATO. Reaffirming its commitment to the Alliance, the trump, however, again urged the allies to pay “fair price” guarantees of NATO and to allocate at least two percent of GDP on defense as required by the statutes of the unit. Currently, only five of the 28 countries comply, and defence expenditure of Germany is closer to one percent of GDP.
“It is very unfair to US,” said the American leader. In this issue, Europe seems to be ready to meet the requirements of the White house. Merkel reaffirmed Germany’s intention to increase the defence budget to the desired level by 2024, for which trump has expressed her appreciation.
The US President summed up their approach with the following statement: “We respect the historical institutions, but we recognize the right of free people to determine their own destiny”.
Victims Obama
Reporters asked many questions, which related not so much policy, how many resonant statements of the us President, causing the two leaders on controversial statements or assessments.
And if Merkel talked mainly about bilateral relations, the tramp most of the time answering questions about the internal politics raging around him and the scandals in the United States.
Although he often enters into vigorous debate with the reporters, this time the President tried to control myself and either ignored such attacks, or laughed it off.
For example, in the last days in the US, the big resonance was caused by his statement that the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama allegedly intercepted his telephone conversations in the skyscraper Trump Tower in new York during the election campaign last year. Despite requests from Congress and the media, no evidence that trump is not submitted. Moreover, the White house spokesman, in fact, suggested that the wiretap could be involved in British intelligence that provoked a strong reaction in London.
When one of the reporters asked why he makes unsubstantiated statements, the US President replied with a smile: “What a good and friendly journalist”. But the question was ignored. No direct answer was given and the next time otchalivai: “with regard to the bugging by the previous administration… Well, at least we (with Angela Merkel — “RG”) there is something in common”. Then with a smile turned his head in the direction of the Chancellor, and in a hall the laughter was distributed. Merkel emotions did not show, apparently, not wanting to get involved in the raging in the US of passion on this topic.
Recall that, according to the revelations of former CIA agent Edward Snowden in 2013, the U.S. intelligence services bugged Angela Merkel’s phone, which caused sharp criticism from Germany to the United States.
Commenting on statements of his administration about the involvement of British intelligence, the US President said that the White house made them, not based on intelligence or its own estimates and on the basis of statements by the expert in TV channel Fox News: “We didn’t say anything, but simply quoted the famous expert who said this on TV. I did not Express their opinions. It was a statement, a very talented lawyer, so please, not to me, but to Fox News”.
Also, it was asked, whether he regrets sometimes about his account in “Twitter”, which evoke a great response. “Very rarely — cut trump. Otherwise I here did not stand”.
Russia — improvement of Ukraine — resolution
One of the topics of the talks was the situation around Ukraine and the stalled peace process in that country. “We need to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine”, — said the Chancellor. She called the “Minsk agreement” “a good basis” and stated that, in her opinion, “the American side and personally to the President more engaged” in this topic, expressing “commitment” to implement them. However, she acknowledged: “unfortunately, we were not able to move far away, our experts will work on this in the coming months.”
Merkel pointed to “the need for a parallel improvement of relations with Russia”, expressing the view that the implementation of “Minsk agreements” would create additional opportunities for normalization.
Trump also noted that the discussion of the crisis in Ukraine was one of the topics of the talks. “We are ideally looking for opportunities for a peaceful settlement,” — said the American leader. He has not expressed his views on the “Minsk agreements”, but “commended the leadership” of Germany and France in the process of resolving the crisis.
Neither trump nor from Merkel sounded statements about the possibility of expanding the “Normandy format” by the accession of States to these negotiations, although the sides agreed to coordinate their efforts in this direction. Also did not sound any statements about the possible fate of Western sanctions against Russia.
Igor Dunaevsky (WA)