US relationships with several nations have faced challenges with the
major priority changes of President Trump. Germany is no exception, and
what was long one of the closest relationships in the West is now fragile, and steadily worsening.
There are a number of reasons why. Germany’s economic power has made it a
target for Trump’s trade wars. The Trump hostility to the European
Union has also put it at odds with Germany and its neighbors. And a big
reason is that Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel really don’t
communicate that much.
US Ambassador Richard Grenell hasn’t helped matters, spurning
traditional events the German government puts on for US envoys, and
feeling himself entitled to constantly issue policy demands and threaten repercussions if Germany doesn’t comply.
Grenell has made himself a lot of enemies as a result, and many see it
as just typical of the way the Trump Administration generally behaves
around its traditional allies. This once again adds to the communication
problem, as ideally his job would be to keep the lines open between the
two countries, and he’s broadly not doing that.
All the lines of communication the Trump administration believes they need are open: they make demands and Germany agrees to capitulate. Certainly the situation is totally unfair, with the US spending astronomical sums preparing for war, reneging on arms control agreements and otherwise provoking potential enemies to threaten attacks that could most conveniently be carried out on allies like Germany.
The presence of US troops in Germany does nothing to make Germans safe, quite the opposite. Germany should throw them out, no fancy ceremony required.
“US Ambassador Richard Grenell hasn’t helped matters”
Prob the understatement of the day but he is merely reflecting the arrogance and bullying of the pompeo definition of “diplomacy.”
Germany should tell the US to go to hell and get out of their country.