New German leader signals seismic shift in transatlantic relations
BERLIN — Germany's chancellor-in-waiting didn't wait for the final results of his country's election on Sunday to herald a new era in Europe.Declaring the US indifferent to this continent's fate, Friedrich Merz questioned the future of Nato and demanded Europe boost its own defenses. Quickly.This tone from the close US ally – and from Friedrich Merz who is known to be a passionate Atlanticist – would have been unimaginable even a couple of months ago.It's a seismic shift. That may read like hyperbole, but what we are now experiencing in terms of transatlantic relations is unprecedented in the 80 years since the end of World War Two.Big European powers have been shocked to the core by the Trump administration, which suggests it could revoke the security guarantees to Europe in place since 1945."I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump's remarks last week... it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe," Friedrich Merz said during a post-election debate on Sunday."My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA," he added.Merz hinted that the endeavor was so urgent that he was not sure on whether the transatlantic alliance leaders gathering for a summit in June "would will still be talking about Nato in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defense capability much more quickly".Significantly, the forthcoming chancellor put Donald Trump's America on a par with Russia – widely viewed here as a security threat to Europe more broadly. "We are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now really is to create unity in Europe," Merz said.The UK prime minister heads to Washington on Thursday, following the visit there on Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron.Friedrich Merz admits, indirectly, to a sense of Fomo – fear of missing out. By rights Germany should be there, too, this week, he says. Berlin, is one of Europe's Big Three powers, alongside France and the UK.And with the US and Russia now pow-wowing bilaterally, about, but not with, Ukraine, it feels like a global return to big-power politics.But Germany has been MIA [missing in action] for a good while now on the European and the world stage. The outgoing government here was weakened and distracted by vicious internal bickering. This infuriated German voters – who wanted urgent focus on the economy and migration – and European allies, demanding action on Russia, security and defense.Merz says a top priority for Germany is to re-engage internationally.The country is already the second-biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine, after the US.Merz wants to continue that support, but, unlike France and the UK, he's been reticent about the idea of sending soldiers to Ukraine, to back up an eventual ceasefire there.Based on Germany's track record though – it dragged its heels at every stage of Ukraine support, and despite that, ended up delivering more aid than any of its European neighbors – a 'No' now, doesn't mean a 'No' forever to committing troops or participating in whatever form a European "reassurance force" in Ukraine may take.For now, the soldiers Germans most worry about are the 35,000 American ones, stationed in their country, that make them feel safe.It's highly unusual for foreign policy to be a top voter concern at election time. But in Germany this weekend, alongside the economy and migration, voter after voter said they worried about peace in Europe and felt very insecure.Back in November, Germany's interior ministry said it was drawing up a list of bunkers that could provide emergency shelter for civilians.Ukraine may be far away, but Germans feel at great risk from Russia for two reasons.Firstly, the amount of military equipment their country has sent Ukraine. The far right, Alternative for Germany (AfD), with its "Germany First" slogan, campaigned for Berlin to disengage from Kyiv and to re-establish relations with Russia. A strategy not unlike Donald Trump's, as the party is fond of pointing out.Secondly, many in Germany think that if Russia wanted to really destabilize Europe, it might be tempted to strike one of the Big Three with a long-range missile.France and the UK are nuclear powers. Germany is not. Even its conventional military is woefully understaffed and underequipped (to the immense irritation of European partners), so Germany fears it's a soft target.All the more so if President Trump withdraws his active servicemen and women from Germany.He has pledged to significantly reduce US troop presence in Europe as a whole.The German sense of deep domestic insecurity prompted Friedrich Merz to suggest last week that he'd look to France and Britain to form a European nuclear umbrella, to replace US nuclear guarantees.
It's an idea that's easy to bring up on the campaign trail, but that in reality is hugely complex – involving questions of capabilities, commitment and control. — BBC
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Oil Up as Market Watches US-China Trade Talks
Oil prices climbed on Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of US-China talks that could pave the way for easing trade tensions and improve fuel demand. Brent crude futures rose 28 cents, or 0.4%, to $67.32 a barrel by 0330 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 23 cents, or 0.4%, at $65.52. On Monday, Brent had risen to $67.19, the highest since April 28, buoyed by the prospect of a US-China trade deal, Reuters said. US-China trade talks were set to continue for a second day in London as top officials aimed to ease tensions that have expanded from tariffs to rare earth curbs, risking global supply chain disruptions and slower growth. Prices have recovered as demand concerns have faded with the trade talks between Washington and Beijing and a favorable US jobs report, while there are risks to North American supply due to wildfires in Canada, Goldman Sachs analysts said. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the talks with China were going well and he was "only getting good reports" from his team in London. A trade deal between the US and China could support the global economic outlook and boost demand for commodities including oil. Elsewhere, Iran said it would soon hand a counter-proposal for a nuclear deal to the US in response to a US offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable", while Trump made clear that the two sides remained at odds over whether the country would be allowed to continue enriching uranium on Iranian soil. Iran is the third-largest producer among members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and any easing of US sanctions on Iran would allow it to export more oil, weighing on global crude prices. OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world's oil and includes OPEC members and allies such as Russia, is accelerating its plan to unwind its most recent layer of output cuts. "The prospect of further hikes in OPEC supply continues to hang over the market," Daniel Hynes, senior commodity strategist at ANZ, said in a note. "A permanent shift to a market driven strategy (in OPEC) would push the oil market into a sizeable surplus in H2 2025 and almost surely lead to lower oil prices."
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran says new round of US talks planned for Sunday
Iran's foreign ministry said Tuesday that the new round of nuclear talks with the United States was being planned for Sunday after President Donald Trump said it was expected on Thursday. 'The next round of Iran–US indirect talks is being planned for next Sunday in Muscat,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement Tuesday, adding Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi would this week attend the Norway's Oslo Forum, a gathering of conflict mediators. Iran and the United States have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. On May 31, after the fifth round of talks, Iran said it had received 'elements' of a US proposal for a nuclear deal, with Araghchi later saying the text contained 'ambiguities.' Iran said on Monday the US proposal was 'lacking elements' reflective of the previous negotiations and that it would present a 'reasonable, logical and balanced' counter-proposal to the United States through mediator Oman. Trump has said new US–Iran talks this week could clarify if a nuclear deal is possible to avoid military action. He added that the latest meeting with Iran was expected Thursday, although a source familiar with preparations said it would more likely be on Friday or Saturday. Iran and the United States have recently been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran's uranium enrichment, with Tehran defending it as a 'non-negotiable' right and Washington calling it a 'red line.' Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close, though still short of, the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead. Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Los Angeles' image is scuffed since ICE raids and protests, with World Cup and Olympics on horizon
LOS ANGELES: This isn't the image Los Angeles wanted projected around the globe. Clouds of tear gas wafting over a throng of protesters on a blocked freeway. Federal immigration agents in tactical garb raiding businesses in search of immigrants without legal status. A messy war of words between President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photos captured several Waymo robotaxis set on fire and graffiti scrawled on a federal detention center building, while videos recorded the sounds of rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades hitting crowds. In a city still reeling from January's deadly wildfires — and with the World Cup soccer championships and the 2028 Olympics on the horizon — Mayor Karen Bass has been urging residents to come together to revitalize LA's image by sprucing up streets, planting trees and painting murals so LA shows its best face to nations near and far. 'It's about pride,' she's said. 'This is the city of dreams.' Instead, a less flattering side of Los Angeles has been broadcast to the world in recent days. Protests have mostly taken place in a small swath of downtown in the sprawling city of 4 million people. As Trump has activated nearly 5,000 troops to respond in the city, Bass has staunchly pushed back against his assertions that her city is overrun and in crisis. Bass, in response to Trump, said she was troubled by depictions that the city has been 'invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals, and that now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming our federal agents. I don't know if anybody has seen that happen, but I've not seen that happen.' The series of protests began Friday outside a federal detention center, where demonstrators demanded the release of more than 40 people arrested by federal immigration authorities. Immigration advocates say the people who were detained do not have criminal histories and are being denied their due process rights. An international city Much like New York, Los Angeles is an international city that many immigrants call home. The city's official seal carries images referencing the region's time under Spanish and Mexican rule. Over 150 languages are spoken by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. About half of the city's residents are Latino and about one-third were born outside the US Bass faulted the Trump administration for creating 'a chaotic escalation' by mobilizing troops to quell protests. 'This is the last thing that our city needs,' Bass said. Los Angeles resident Adam Lerman, who has attended the protests, warned that protests would continue if the Trump administration pushes more raids in the city. 'We are talking about a new riot every day,' Lerman said. 'Everybody knows they are playing with fire.' It's not the publicity LA needs as it looks to welcome the world for international sporting events on a grand scale. 'At this stage in the process, most host cities and countries would be putting the final touches on their mega-event red carpet, demonstrating to the world that they are ready to embrace visitors with open arms,' said Jules Boykoff, a Pacific University professor who has written widely on the political and economic impacts of the Olympic Games. The scenes of conflict are 'not exactly the best way to entice the world to plan their next tourist trip to the US to watch a sports mega-event.' A mayor under pressure The federal raids and protests have created another dicey political moment for Bass, who has been struggling with a budget crisis while trying to recover from political fallout from the wildfires that ignited when she was out of the country. She's been careful not to discourage protests but at the same time has pleaded for residents to remain peaceful. The mayor will likely face backlash for involving the Los Angeles Police. And she needs to fight the perception that the city is unsafe and disorderly, an image fostered by Trump, who in social media posts has depicted Bass as incompetent and said the city has been 'invaded' by people who entered the US illegally. Los Angeles is sprawling — roughly 470 square miles (750 square kilometers) — and the protests were mostly concentrated downtown. 'The most important thing right now is that our city be peaceful,' Bass said. 'I don't want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the (Trump) administration.' On Monday, workers were clearing debris and broken glass from sidewalks and power-washing graffiti from buildings — among the structures vandalized was the one-time home of the Los Angeles Times across the street from City Hall. Downtown has yet to bounce back since long-running pandemic lockdowns, which reordered work life and left many office towers with high vacancy rates. Trump and California officials continued to spar online and off, faulting each other for the fallout. At the White House, Trump criticized California leaders by saying 'they were afraid of doing anything' and signaled he would support Newsom's arrest over his handling of the immigration protests. If Los Angeles' image was once defined by its balmy Mediterranean climate and the glamor of Hollywood, it's now known 'primarily for disaster,' said Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney. 'A lot of perception depends on images,' Pitney added. Right now, the dominant image 'is a burning Waymo.'
