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The 55th Annual Security Conference held from 15 to 17 February in Munich demonstrated the growing contradictions between the United States and European partners.
America acted as a hegemon, but in no way an equivalent partner. Speaking from the United States, Vice President Michael Pence demonstrated the level of partnership desired in the American way: “We give orders and your business is to carre out them.” This is how the French journalists Sylvie Kauffmann and Thomas Wieder described his speech on the pages of the “Le Monde” publication.
German media representatives, in particular “Der Spiegel” journalist Konstantin von Hammerstein, described in detail how Pence (in the article, the author calls publicist the Trump ventrum) fawned before President Trump and handed out orders to European partners to support US sanctions against Iran, increase contributions to NATO and to stop the construction of the Nord Stream – 2. At the same time, the journalist noted that America is no longer the world leader, China and Russia are actively fighting for this place.
As for Michael Pens, he is certainly well done as a politician and good as a subordinate. Not everyone will be able to, in an ultimatum with a number of stringent requirements for partners, in almost every sentence praise his boss (D. Trump). And the delivered speech was probably difficult for him. But an experienced politician was able to finish it beautifully and without an appeal, immediately leaving the hall and not giving the opportunity to those present to ask questions.
One way or another, the conference showed that NATO is going through a severe crisis. Some of the politicians even managed to argue that the North Atlantic Alliance could survive two more years of the Donald Trump presidency.
Representatives of the United States and Europe have significant differences in their views on key issues of modern politics. Europe does not support America’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, despite all attempts by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May to discourage this step. Conditions for the withdrawal of American troops from Syria are not acceptable. Trump simply and categorically declared: “We have defeated terrorism, we are leaving” and shifted all responsibility to the coalitions participating in the operation. European leaders can’t agree with US withdrawal from the INF Treaty. After all, the countries of Europe that host NATO bases and elements of the American missile defense system will now become targets for Russian missiles. In addition, transatlantic partners have intractable contradictions about Russian gas, the situation in Venezuela, and even the Chinese company Huawei.
In all these situations, America does not ask, but demands submission. Given that all projects are exclusively in American interests. When Merkel asks a question from the tribune about the reasons for the ban on the export of European cars to the USA, she finds out that they threaten security with something. Very strange, one-sided and unproductive approach of American diplomacy.
The nature of the differences between the United States and the allies can be judged by the fact that Angela Merkel spoke out in a rather straightforward and tough response (Germany has traditionally been the most faithful ally of the United States in Europe). In her speech, the German Chancellor criticized the position of the American leadership and openly declared that Washington’s actions are unacceptable. The voiced position of European countries is that the United States ceased to lead, but only give instructions. Given that world leadership eludes them.
I would like to finish with the same words as Angela Merkel, who quoted the American senator: “Multilateralism is complicated, but it is always easier than doing it alone.” And the leaders of the world powers still have time to realize this.
Authorship: Vitaliy Timoschuk
Source: WolneMedia.net
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