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“The federal chancellor appreciates the invitation to the G-7 meeting in late June in Washington. Today, given the general pandemic situation, he cannot accept attending and traveling to Washington in person,” said Merkel spokeswoman Steffen Seibert. .
While it is claimed that he may still change his mind, such a public response suggests that the relationship between the two leaders is quite complicated.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Germany, and Merkel in particular, has been blamed for poor trade policy and insufficient defense funding.
For her part, the German chancellor has never despised her unilateral approach to US foreign policy too much; for example, the United States has withdrawn from both the Paris Climate Agreement and the agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
A series of reflections
According to Politico, this week, when Trump and Merkel spoke on the phone, they hotly debated both NATO and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, as well as relations with China.
The President of the United States, furthermore, probably does not like Merkel’s caution. D. Trump would like to give the impression before the elections waiting for the fall that life is returning to normal: restrictions will end and travel bans will be lifted.
Reuters / Scanpix photo / Donald Trump and Angela Merkel
The G-7 meeting, it is true, was originally scheduled for March, but Trump canceled it due to the coronavirus crisis and said a video conference would be held.
However, on May 20, he traditionally announced on Twitter, the network he is now connected to about alleged censorship, that he plans to hold a meeting: “That would be a good sign for everyone: normalization!”
The United States White House announced this week that a G-7 summit was scheduled for the end of June, not at the Camp David presidential residence, but in Washington. The original meeting moved to Camp David after a storm over Trump’s plans to receive honorable guests at one of his Miami golf resorts.
The German chancellor, who is a research scientist by specialty, has already stated that it is not yet wise to organize major events in June.
“The President believes that preparing the G-7 would be the best example of openness here. We will protect world leaders in the same way that we protect people in the White House.
So we want that to happen. We believe it will happen. So far, foreign leaders are in favor of the idea, “said White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany.
Isn’t it too early to plan such events?
But here Merkel replied. The German chancellor, who is a research scientist by specialty, has already stated that it is not yet wise to organize major events in June.
After all, the virus is still wandering around states, and experts call for continued caution, even as they turn on the engines of economies.
Does Trump simply want to take advantage of the leaders of the other G7 countries and declare before the United States presidential election that the world is alive again?
According to Politico sources, Trump was outraged by Merkel’s position and his refusal to come, and immediately called French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.
He is ready to come, but there are rumors that he and other Europeans would follow Merkel’s example and not travel to the United States unless the German chancellor also flies there.
The EU is currently involved in major negotiations on a new seven-year budget and a Community recovery plan, for which solidarity is needed.
Reuters / Scanpix photo / Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron
Admittedly, Merkel does not appear to support the EU leaders’ meeting scheduled for June 19. The leaders of many countries, realizing the importance of agreeing, believe that cutting by hand will only be possible by bringing everyone together in one room.
And in the case of the G-7 meeting, there are still Europe’s doubts that D. Trump simply wants to take advantage of the leaders of the other G7 countries and declare before the United States presidential elections that the world is alive again.
“Furthermore, diplomats say traditional preparations for such a G-7 meeting are lacking: in-depth discussions on the agenda, intensive negotiations on formal conclusions.”
“These negotiations would be difficult, because there is a lot of disagreement with Trump about it,” says Politico.
Reviews – and the chancellor
The 65-year-old German chancellor is the second leading G-7 chief after Trump, 73. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is now 65, is several months younger than Merkel. Due to their age, these leaders are at increased risk for COVID-19.
However, Merkel is also criticized for her position. For example, Slawomir Debski, director of the Polish Institute for International Relations, expected more mature behavior from the German chancellor.
AFP / Scanpix Photo / Donald Short
“The short time has humiliated Merkel in many ways and made her feel kind, so now, considering the Short is a lazy duck, she is taking revenge on him.” I understand human feelings and emotions, but I think that the leader of a democratic country responsible for feelings should leave the country aside, ”said S. Debskis.
The United States is currently the country most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, German foreign policy expert Ulrich Speck regrets that Merkel was unable to agree with Macron on a common position on the G-7 issue.
“It shows how far Berlin is from Paris, although efforts have been made to work together in recent months. After all, the United States and Germany will disagree with NATO, Nord Stream 2 and China, even after Joe Biden wins the election, “writes U.Speck.
The G-7 countries (United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States) hold successive summits of the group each year. In 2019, such an event took place in France.
The United States is currently the country most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 1,745,000 people infected with the coronavirus in the country and more than 102,000. died.
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