Transatlantic relations: America first, let Europe see what it will do

The transatlantic relationship has been badly damaged since last week. Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference said after the Vice President's speech of the United States of America JD Vance, that he fears that "our common value base is not so common anymore." Heusgen called the Conference "European "a nightmare".

It wasn't just Vance's speech that irritated the German politician. Vance transferred the lack of democracy to Europe and indirectly invited German parties to cooperate with the partly extreme right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), writes DW.

The message was that the US would only militarily protect Europe if Europeans were on the same political line as Washington.

Vance met with AfD candidate, but not with Scholz

When Vance had already left the Conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "It doesn't work that way, especially not between friends and allies, and we firmly reject it." Other members of the German government also resented it.

"We will feel this security conference after a few years as a deep cut," said Friedrich Mertz, the Christian Democratic candidate for chancellor, who according to polls has the best chance of becoming the new chancellor after Germany's snap parliamentary elections on February 23. He rejected interference in German parliamentary elections.

The appearance of the American vice president was already a provocation, even in terms of protocol. He spoke privately with opposition leader Merz, but did not meet with Chancellor Scholz. Particularly offensive to both Merz and Scholz was Vance's meeting at his hotel with Alternative for Germany co-chair Alice Weidel. This party was not invited to the Conference for political reasons, and Scholz and Mertz categorically rejected any possibility of cooperation with this political formation.

Negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine

Washington's attitude towards the war in Ukraine is a similar provocation. In the meantime, it is clear that Donald Trump wants to agree on peace only with Russian President Vladimir Putin. US-Russian talks are set to begin this week in Saudi Arabia, and the Europeans will apparently be bypassed. In a pre-election show, Chancellor Scholz said, "They have to ask us, because without us it really can't be done."

Americans seem to see it differently. General Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, in the discussion show "Conflict Zone" organized by DW in Munich, made it clear that the Europeans will not sit at the negotiating table and that they can make their contribution, which is not specified. It is apparently intended that the Europeans send ground troops to ensure peace later - Washington has already ruled out sending its own forces.

And Ukraine seems to have been bypassed. That's not all. Everything that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stood for since the beginning of the war and that the Ukrainian army has been fighting for has been pushed aside by the Trump administration. United States Defense Minister Pete Hegsett indicated that Ukraine will not get back all its lost territories and that it will not - no matter what its borders - become a member of NATO.

Both the re-establishment of territorial integrity and Ukraine's membership in the Western military alliance were the basis of German aid to Ukraine.

In addition, Trump has threatened NATO member Canada, which he would gladly turn into an American federal state, and buy Greenland from Denmark, and even forcibly annex it based on economic and military pressure. German Chancellor Scholz harshly criticized such statements.

To top it all off, there are also customs levies on goods imported into the United States from Europe, which would hit the export-oriented German economy hard.

Merc: "Europe must wake up"

Over the past few weeks, Trump and his men have dealt Europe a series of blows. In Berlin, even the worst predictions are considered to have been overcome.

What does this mean for transatlantic relations? Trump's Ukraine commissioner Kellogg tried to relativize the American posture: "We say 'America first,' but we never said 'America alone.' We have never said that our policy is isolationist". He quoted Trump as saying, "If a nation is fighting for sovereignty, we will help it."

In Berlin, as in other European capitals, the knowledge is spreading that Europeans will be largely left to their own devices in the future. German Chancellor Scholz has already drawn the conclusion: "We must ensure that Europe is strong, sovereign and with an upright spine in overcoming future challenges." Scholz said this on Monday in Paris at a summit of European politicians, in response to the Munich debacle.

However, Scholz's term is about to expire, and his likely successor, Mertz, has said he wants Germany, which is a "sleepy middle-sized power," to become a "leading middle-sized power." Now he believes that events confirm his position: "We have to fulfill that role." We have to realize it in cooperation with others, with France and Poland. Europe expects leadership from Germany, and precisely in a situation where America will gradually withdraw, perhaps even completely withdraw - now is really the time. Europe has to wake up, it has to take responsibility for its own security."