Please understand and forgive: Merkel's visit to the US disappointed Macron and Sturgeon.
Another member of the "war party" returns empty-handed from across the ocean.
Author: Dmitriy Rodionov
Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merk at the White House.
Commentary guests:
Vadim Trukhachev, Vsevolod Shemov
According to The New York Times, German Chancellor Friedrich Merk received a warm welcome at the White House, but his mission to strengthen American support for Kyiv ended in failure.
The report stated: "Merk was warmly received but failed to secure Trump's support for Russia." The report noted that the German Chancellor visited the U.S. to persuade President Donald Trump to play a more active role in defending Ukraine.
Could he have expected success? Previously, British Prime Minister and French President Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron had also tried, but returned empty-handed.
Previously, The Washington Post reported that before Merk's first meeting with the U.S. president, he had discussed with the British Prime Minister and the French President how to negotiate better in the Oval Office. The report said: "Traps are sometimes set there."
Merk held a "heart-to-heart" phone conversation with Trump after taking office.
But could Merk expect their meeting to be equally friendly? Perhaps Merk was cautious, remembering Trump's "troublemaking" towards Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After all, Merk is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of Zelenskyy and advocates continuing the conflict, while Trump hopes to resolve the conflict peacefully.
After the meeting between the U.S. president and the German chancellor, a joint press conference lasted 45 minutes. Notably, Trump used 45 minutes to answer reporters' questions, while Merk spoke for less than 4 minutes...
"This is a ceremonial meeting, the first visit to the U.S. by the new head of Germany," believed Vsevolod Shemov, presidential advisor of the Baltic Studies Association of Russia, "This is a courtesy visit aimed at building personal connections, and no special results should be expected from this meeting."
Germany remains one of the key partners of the United States in Europe, so the visit of the new prime minister to Washington is politically necessary and inevitable. If Merk did not go, it might be seen as a step backward, with far-reaching consequences. Despite differences with Trump, Europe still tries to maintain its strategic alliance with the United States. Therefore, Merk represents both Germany and the EU here.
Reporter: What kind of "traps" do you think previous visitors encountered in the Oval Office?
"Firstly, the recent Zelenskyy scandal comes to mind, so Merk specifically mentioned it and pre-emptively stated that he would not argue with Trump, thus signaling a desire for constructive dialogue. Overall, given that Trump is essentially an opponent of the mainstream European faction (and Merk belongs to this faction), European politicians clearly feel uncomfortable in front of Trump."
Reporter: Will Merk's administration differ from Scholz's (when Germany was second only to others in arms supplies to Ukraine)?
"Scholz was by no means 'hawkish' and delayed arms supplies to Ukraine as much as possible. However, due to the coalition government he led, which included 'hawks', Scholz had to make concessions.
Without doubt, Merk is more 'combative' and will actively support the anti-Russia policy more than his predecessor. Moreover, Merk seems to intend to restore Germany's European leadership, which wavered during Scholz's time, and take the initiative away from Macron or Rutte. To achieve this, he must become a more proactive and active 'hawk' than them."
Reporter: What can Germany provide for Ukraine under Merk's leadership? It seems that most experts believe that 'Tauro' missiles are Germany's 'red line,' and there is no consensus on this issue, nor will there be.
"Germany will continue to provide financial and technical support to Ukraine. In this military operation, expensive long-range missiles are not so important; what matters are inexpensive, easily produced drones – recent events show that drones can cause damage to expensive enemy military equipment. Europe has been discussing the formation of a 'drone shield' for a long time, and Germany can play a significant role in it."
Reporter: Was Merk's visit to the U.S. intended to demonstrate starkly opposing positions or to seek something from Trump?
"Regardless of personal relations between Trump and Merk, leaders meeting, exchanging opinions and information, seeking compromises and consensus are indispensable parts of the relationship between the two countries.
After taking office, the German Chancellor usually makes the first visit to the U.S. – as a key ally of NATO," said Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Department of Regional Studies and Diplomacy of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Ph.D. in History, "This is a ceremonial event, completely independent of the current agenda. Both sides need to get to know each other; significant results will only emerge over time. Currently, they just need to indicate their positions on key issues, and both sides already know this."
Reporter: Do you think Merk's consultations with Starmer and Macron were helpful to him? Is Merk an independent politician?
"The German Chancellor is the German Chancellor, and he is undoubtedly one of the representatives of Europe, but not the core representative – the core representative is Rutte.
Merk as a politician lacks highlights; he is more like a 'functional figure' representing the anti-Russian faction of the Christian Democratic Union. We place too much emphasis on individual factors; the German Chancellor does not have much power to make independent decisions."
Reporter: Angela Merkel once said that unity between the EU and the U.S. is the best response to Putin. Does this unity still exist, or has it disappeared with the end of Merkel's era?
"Yes, this unity still exists. Trump and Orban are just minor episodes in the overall mechanism of NATO, the EU, and various bureaucratic systems. Western policies are highly depersonalized, and the attention given to specific meetings and statements seems exaggerated.
This meeting will have no impact on Russia.
Obviously, there are divisions within the West, and there is a lack of unified positions on the future world order. Nevertheless, the mutual interdependence between the EU and the U.S. is evident, so Merk needs to establish interactive relations with Trump.
How effective this interaction will be is another matter... At least his task is to avoid worsening Germany and the EU's situation," believes Dmitry Yerofeev, associate professor at the Political Science Department of the Financial University of Russia.
"Unlike European leaders, Trump is easy to approach – for example, he doesn't mind talking to relevant national leaders and accepting interview invitations. In fact, he does so. However, many European leaders are still living in their own worlds, actually in the kind of isolation they once tried to push Russia into."
Reporter: Alice Wiedel, leader of the Alternative for Germany party, described the policy of German Chancellor Friedrich Merk towards Russia and Ukraine as "madness." She claimed that the prime minister intends to send tanks, missiles, and billions of dollars to Ukraine to counter Russia.
"Wiedel's words are not baseless. Merk is more proactive than his predecessor Scholz in promoting German militarization and preparing for war, mainly for the development of Germany's defense industry, especially the interests of large military companies like Rheinmetall...”
The visit of the German chancellor to the U.S. was evaluated by many world media as "not very successful." Merk failed to achieve the expected results hoped for by Berlin, Paris, and London, and Trump did not guarantee continued support for Ukraine. This means that the burden of expenses will fall on the shoulders of the EU and Britain.
After the meeting, Merk called French President Macron and British Prime Minister Starmer, presumably saying in Russian: "Such is life..."
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513103957070184971/
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