Angela Merkel: ‘Europe Must Fight For Its’ Own Future,’ Can No Longer Rely On U.S. Under President Trump
Angela Merkel has asserted that Germany and Europe can no longer rely on the United States under current President Donald Trump, according to Time magazine. On Sunday, the German Chancellor, after three days of meetings, urged the European Union to stick together as the threat of emerging policy divisions with the United States looms across the nations.
The German Chancellor emphasized the need for friendly relations with the U.S., Britain, and Russia, while she spoke at the campaign event. Merkel also added the need for Europe to be more self-reliant.
“We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.”
According to Merkel, the traditional western alliance is threatened by the new U.S. presidency and Brexit. “… The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days.”
Merkel assured Germany and Europe would strive to maintain friendly relations with the United States and Britain, on the other hand, the chancellor said, “we need to know we must fight for our own future as Europeans for our destiny.”
Merkel’s comments arrive on the heels of Trump saying he needed more time to decide if the United States would continue to support the Paris climate deal — a move that has frustrated European diplomats.
President Donald Trump came under pressure from the other leaders to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions. Trump had previously called global warming a hoax.
I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017
Although President Trump tweeted to say he would make a decision next week, his reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate change deal annoyed Angela Merkel. The deal was signed by 195 countries.
“The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying… There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not.”
The failure to reach an agreement on climate change falls on the shoulders of the United States according to G7 leaders.
“The United States of America is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics.”
Donald Trump has reportedly opened up to “confidants” including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, that he wants the U.S. to leave the international agreement on climate change. The information was gathered by the Axios news outlet which cited three sources with direct knowledge.
‘We must fight for our own future’: German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges European unityhttps://t.co/WTVZQq7MCn
— TIME (@TIME) May 28, 2017
A source who had close contact with those involved in the decision told Reuters that there were a few meetings planned with chief executives of energy companies and others about the climate agreement ahead of Trump’s expected announcement scheduled later in the week.
It was unclear whether those meetings are still scheduled to take place.
Germany has been criticized for its massive trade surplus. However, the G7 summit in Sicily did vow to fight protectionism, reiterating “a commitment to keep our markets open.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Europeans can't "completely" rely on the US and other longstanding allies https://t.co/A6G5UIAhgt pic.twitter.com/wRG3wbrsgI
— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2017
The leaders also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea and to work together in the fight against terrorism, according to The Independent. There is also a possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine.
Before the Sicily meeting, Trump and Merkel had a tense relationship. During a White House meeting in March, the two seemed uncomfortable as they frowned before news cameras. Trump refused to even shake Merkel’s hand, according to New York Daily News.
Trump later tweeted that they had a “GREAT meeting”, but still criticized Germany for owing “vast sums of money” to NATO.
Merkel will embark upon her fourth term in September, making Germany yet another EU nation that will likely see its future suspended during a tense election.
[Featured Image by Sascha Schuermann/AP Images]
