Category Archives: Politics

Germany, Government, NATO, Politics, Society, United States

The U.S. raises spectre on German contributions to NATO

UNITED STATES/NATO

Trump Merkel2

Trump and Merkel share tense first public appearance earlier this month in Washington.

Intro: President Trump issues NATO invoice of some £300bn to Germany. But Chancellor Merkel insists no debt is owed.

ANGELA MERKEL has reportedly ignored Donald Trump’s attempts to extricate £300bn from Germany for what he deems to be owed contributions to NATO.

The controversial President is said to have had an ‘invoice’ printed out outlining the sum estimated by his aides as covering Germany’s unpaid contributions for defence.

Said to be presented during private talks in Washington, the move has been met with criticism from German and NATO officials in Brussels.

While the figure presented to the Germans was not fully revealed by either side, NATO countries pledged in 2014 to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence, something only a handful of nations – including the UK, Greece, Poland and Estonia – currently do.

But the bill has been backdated even further to 2002, the year Mrs Merkel’s predecessor, Gerhard Schröder, pledged to spend more on defence.

Mr Trump reportedly instructed aides to calculate how much German spending fell below two per cent over the past 12 years, then added interest. Estimates suggest the total came to £300bn, with official figures citing the shortfall to be around £250bn, and with £50bn in interest added on.

The Times quoted a German government minister as saying the move was “outrageous”.

The unnamed minister said: “The concept behind putting out such demands is to intimidate the other side, but the chancellor took it calmly and will not respond to such provocations.”

And the London based newspaper quoted a source close to Mrs Merkel saying she has “ignored the provocation”.

The bill follows a disastrous meeting between the pair earlier this month, characterised by Mr Trump’s refusal to shake his peer’s hand.

A day after the meeting, Mr Trump tweeted: “Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with the Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Nevertheless, Germany owes . . . vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!”

In response to the claims, German defence minister Ursula Von der Leyen rejected the notion the European nation owed the US or NATO.

She issued a statement saying: “There is no debt account at NATO.

“Defence spending also goes into UN peacekeeping missions, into our European missions and into our contribution to the fight against [Isis] terrorism.”

Her comments were backed by Ivo Daalder, permanent representative to NATO from 2009 to 2013 under the Obama administration, who queried the President’s understanding of the organisation.

He tweeted: “Sorry Mr President, that’s not how NATO works. The US decides for itself how much it contributes to defending NATO.

“This is not a financial transaction, where NATO countries pay the US to defend them. It is part of our treaty commitment.”

Mr Trump has repeatedly voiced his criticism over member payments to NATO, throwing doubt on the US’ future role in the organisation.

He has singled out a number of NATO countries, including Germany, over their defence contributions claiming the US has been forced to bear the brunt and pick up the tab.

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Europe, European Union, Government, Politics, Society, Uncategorized

EU celebrates 60th anniversary

EUROPEAN UNION

EU leaders

European Union leaders in Rome marked the 60th anniversary of their founding treaty.

Britain’s absence from the EU’s 60th birthday celebrations is “a sad moment”, EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

The president of the European Commission also restated his view that the UK’s departure from the bloc after more than 40 years was “a tragedy”.

Mr Juncker was speaking at a meeting of the remaining 27 member states in Rome to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the founding agreement of the EU.

Britain is set to trigger Article 50 next Wednesday that will start the formal two-year divorce proceedings from Brussels.

As he arrived at the anniversary ceremony, Mr Juncker said: “It is a very sad moment, I do think that the Brexit, the exit of Britain, is a tragedy.”

But he believed the EU was strong enough to see through the challenges it faced from economic problems and the migration crisis to the terrorist threat and rise of populist anti-Europe movements.

Recalling how the new Europe was built from the ashes of World War II, he said: “Daunting as they are, the challenges we face today are in no way comparable to those faced by the founding fathers.”

EU Council President Donald Tusk also called on government heads to be strong.

He said: “Prove today that you are the leaders of Europe, that you can care for this great legacy we inherited from the heroes of European integration 60 years ago.

“Europe as a political entity will either be united, or will not be at all. Only a united Europe can be a sovereign Europe in relation to the rest of the world.

“Only a sovereign Europe guarantees independence for its nations, guarantees freedom for its citizens.”

Pope Francis had earlier warned on the eve of the summit that the crisis-hit bloc “risks dying” without a new vision.

Meanwhile, Washington has congratulated the EU on its 60th birthday, in a shift in tone for President Donald Trump’s administration which has been sceptical towards Brussels.

A White House statement said: “Our two continents share the same values and, above all, the same commitment to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.”

Security was tight at the Rome meeting with snipers on rooftops, drones in the skies and 3,000 police officers on the streets following the terror attack in London on Wednesday.

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Government, Politics, Society, United States

U.S. Finance Bill

UNITED STATES

Intro: President Trump unveils his first finance bill

DONALD TRUMP has promised a “new chapter of American greatness” as he unveiled plans to spend billions of dollars more on defence and building the wall with Mexico.

In his first finance plan, the U.S. President intends to ramp up security by slashing budgets on foreign aid, poverty programmes and the environment.

Defence will receive a 10 per cent increase of some £44billion – the biggest since Ronald Reagan’s boost in the 1980s.

Officials say the money would be used to “accelerate the defeat” of Islamic State and ensure U.S. troops were the “most ready forces in the world”.

Homeland Security will also see its budget rise by 7 per cent, assigning £2.3billion for building the border wall.

The Environmental Protection Agency will be cut by 31 per cent, the State Department by 28 per cent, and Health and Human Services by 17.9 per cent.

Climate change research is to be axed completely, along with smaller agencies financing the arts, public service broadcasting, and legal aid for the poor.

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