Germany
steps up attack on Trump for 'weakening' the west
Foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said
‘short-sighted’ US policies stood against the interests of the EU, after Merkel
warns Europeans can’t depend on US
Agence France-Presse
Tuesday 30 May 2017 02.10 BST Last modified on Tuesday 30
May 2017 03.57 BST
Germany has unleashed a volley of criticism against Donald
Trump, slamming his “short-sighted” policies that have “weakened the west” and
hurt European interests.
The sharp words from foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel came
after the US president concluded his first official tour abroad taking in Saudi
Arabia, Israel, Brussels and then Italy for a G7 summit.
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, warned on Sunday that
the US and Britain may no longer be completely reliable partners.
Germany’s exasperation was laid bare after the G7 summit,
which wrapped up on Saturday with Trump refusing to affirm US support for the
2015 Paris climate accord.
Days earlier, in Saudi Arabia, Trump presided over the
single largest US arms deal in American history, worth $110bn over the next
decade and including ships, tanks and anti-missile systems.
Gabriel said on Monday that “anyone who accelerates climate
change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in
conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts
is putting peace in Europe at risk”.
“The short-sighted policies of the American government stand
against the interests of the European Union,” he said, judging that “the west
has become smaller, at least it has become weaker”.
“We Europeans must fight for more climate protection, fewer
weapons and against religious [fanaticism], otherwise the Middle East and
Africa will be further destabilised,” Gabriel said.
Germany’s harsh words for Washington, traditionally a close
ally, were highly unusual and came as relations grow increasingly frosty.
When Trump was inaugurated in January, Merkel had told the
billionaire and former reality TV show star that cooperation would be on the
basis of shared democratic values.
The relationship between Merkel and Trump contrasts with the
warm ties between herself and Barack Obama. The previous US president last week
travelled to Berlin to attend a key Protestant conference.
Obama’s participation in a forum with Merkel last Thursday
came hours before her meeting with Trump in Brussels at the Nato summit.
At the alliance’s meeting on Thursday, Trump lambasted 23 of
the its 28 members – including Germany – for “still not paying what they should
be paying” towards the funding of the bloc.
After the Nato and G7 summits, Merkel said at an election
rally in southern Germany that “the times in which we could completely depend
on others are on the way out. I’ve experienced that in the last few days.”
“We, the Europeans, will have to take our fate into our own
hands. Our friendship with the US, the UK, our neighbourly relationship with
Russia and also with other countries count, of course. But we must know, we
have to fight for our own future,” she said.
In response to Merkel’s comments, Britain said it would be a
“strong partner” to Germany.
“As we begin the negotiations about leaving the EU, we will
be able to reassure Germany and other European countries that we are going to
be a strong partner to them in defence and security and, we hope, in trade,”
Britain’s home secretary, Amber Rudd, told BBC radio.
“We can reassure Mrs Merkel that we want to have a deep and
special partnership so that we can continue to maintain European-wide security
to keep us all safe from the terrorists abroad and those that are trying to be
nurtured in our country,” she said.
Separately, France’s defence minister Sylvie Goulard said
that Trump’s broadside at Nato allies could boost efforts toward a common
European defence policy.
“At a time when we want to take steps forward for Europe and
its defence, it is a spur,” said Goulard.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário