Trump tries to "humiliate Merkel as much as possible" - Gabriel on the US alliance with Germany

US President Donald Trump makes serious allegations against Germany. Apparently there are several problems in the German-American friendship.

• Donald Trump makes serious allegations against the Merkel government.
• The US President complained about Germany in an interview .
• Trump apparently has several bills open with the Merkel government.

Update from August 8, 10:06 p.m .: In view of the latest developments in the German-American relationship, Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) asks himself whether Germany and the USA still need each other. For US President Donald Trump , the ideas of the West - and with them the ability to enter into alliances - are no longer important, "simply don't care".

In a guest post in the Tagesspiegel, Gabriel said: Trump sees alliances at best as an “obstacle to his political initiatives, probably even as an opponent.” He wants to “negotiate with Russia about the fate of the world” and “put China under pressure” without doing anything to be disturbed by allies who refused to "follow him".

Angela Merkel (CDU) is known as a strong supporter of multinational alliances. For Gabriel, one thing is certain: That is why Trump is looking for “every opportunity to humiliate her as if she were his domestic political opponent.” The announced troop suit was followed by sanctions against a small community in East Germany at this game. But Gabriel also says: Without the USA, “the West” will no longer exist.

Threats from the USA are received with indignation in Germany

Update from August 7, 3:03 p.m.: The threats from the USA against the port of Sassnitz on Rügen because of its role in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline were received with outrage in Germany. “These threats are absolutely unacceptable. Germany can decide for itself where and how it gets its energy , ”said Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) to the Berlin“ Tagesspiegel ”on Friday. She expects the federal government “to take decisive action against these blackmail attempts,” Schwesig said. The port of Mukran near Sassnitz is 90 percent owned by the city of Sassnitz and ten percent by the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The Federal Foreign Office also rejected the threats from the United States. Secretary of State Niels Annen (SPD) told Tagesspiegel: "We have made it clear to our American partners that we are against pressure from European companies ." The tone and content of the threatening letters sent by American senators are completely inappropriate.

The three US Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson had previously threatened the management of Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH in a letter that was also published on the Internet: “If you continue to provide goods, services and support for the Nord Stream 2 project , (...) you would destroy the future financial survival of your company . "

Update of August 7, 2:07 p.m .: John Bolton, the former National Security Advisor to US President Donald Trump , has criticized the announced withdrawal of US troops from Germany. Trump did not give "good reasons" why he wanted to withdraw almost 12,000 soldiers, Bolton told the German Press Agency when his book "The Room in which Everything Happened" was published in Germany on August 14.

Trump wanted to relocate the soldiers due to Germany's low defense spending and the trade deficit , and he left no doubt about that in view of his statements. “There may be other valid reasons for a move. These are not good reasons, ”said Bolton. "He does this because he thinks Germany deserves it."

A tough conservative and like Trump a Republican , Bolton was Trump 's National Security Advisor in the White House between April 2018 and September 2019 . In the meantime, however, he warns against a re-election of Trump on November 3rd: The defense alliance NATO could break up as a result. "I don't think people in Europe are actually fully aware of that."

Update of August 6, 6:35 p.m .: After US President Donald Trump made serious allegations against the Federal Government and Chancellor Angela Merkel in an interview with TV broadcaster Wednesday and alluded to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline (" We should protect Germany from Russia, that's okay, but Germany pays Russia billions of dollars for energy ”), things suddenly seem to get rolling.

After Trump accusations against the federal government: Congress members threaten German Nord Stream 2 port with "destructive" sanctions

According to a report by “Welt”, three US Congress members threatened the management of Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH on Rügen with “devastating” legal and economic sanctions if the company continued to support the construction of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline . The port of Mukran near Sassnitz serves as a pipe storage facility for the 160-kilometer pipeline that is still to be built. In addition, two Russian laying vessels have moored there.

"The sanctions are mandatory and there is no discretion in their imposition," the newspaper quoted from the letter of the US Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson . "If you continued to provide goods, services and support for the Nord Stream 2 project, (...) you would destroy the future financial survival of your company."

The letter to the management of the port serves as a "formal legal notice", as "Welt" quotes, that the supply of the Russian laying ships and any further involvement in the pipeline construction "involve the risk that the ferry port Sassnitz GmbH and the port of Mukran as well as your board members, To expose managers, shareholders and employees to legal and economic sanctions. These are “potentially fatal measures that Fahrhafen Sassnitz GmbH will cut economically and financially from the United States”.

Trump conflict: Nord Stream 2 a "serious threat to US national security"

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in mid-July that the controversial Baltic Sea pipeline, which is supposed to transport gas from Russia to Germany , is now subject to a law that allows punitive measures against companies that do business with Russia or countries such as Iran and North Korea do. The federal government then declared that it rejects extraterritorial sanctions , as these are “contrary to international law”.

The pipeline is particularly controversial in Eastern Europe. The US government has argued in the past that Europe is becoming energy-dependent on Russia . US Congressmen's letter now states that the United States regards the pipeline as "a serious threat to European energy security and US national security ."

But Donald Trump is not only messing with Germany at the moment. The US president also has a big problem with Chinese companies. He is now officially issuing an ultimatum, otherwise he will prohibit a popular social media app.

Our first announcement from August 6, 4.45 p.m .:

Washington - Donald Trump raised serious allegations against Federal Government and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in an interview with Fox on Wednesday . The reason for this was the withdrawal of just under 12,000 soldiers from Germany announced by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper . Trump replied to Fox that he no longer wanted to have tens of thousands of soldiers stationed in Germany. The US President also added that a fortune is being made with the troops in Germany . As a reason for this he said: "As you know, they (the Germans) built cities around our troops."

Donald Trump with serious allegations against Germany: "You make a fortune with the troops"

6400 of the soldiers stationed in Germany are now to be brought back to the USA , 5600 are to be relocated to other European NATO countries - according to the current status primarily to Italy and Belgium. But that's not all of the accusations: Donald Trump * once again criticized that Germany was "delinquent" in relation to NATO spending and had to pay. Donald Trump's government once again expresses criticism of Germany's investments in the military . At 1.38 percent, Germany currently clearly misses the NATO target of investing two percent of its economic power in the military.

Donald Trump shoots against Germany: "We should protect Germany from Russia"

“Germany pays Russia billions of dollars annually for energy, and we should protect Germany from Russia. What is that supposed to be? ”Trump tweeted on Wednesday evening. (© dpa / Evan Vucci / AP / dpa)

Donald Trump also found harsh words about trade relations between Germany and Russia : "We should protect Germany from Russia, that's okay, but Germany pays Russia billions of dollars for energy," said Trump. The US President is alluding to the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline. The president has been criticizing the natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany for years. It was not until the end of 2019 that the first punitive measures were made possible against companies involved in the construction of the Nord Strom 2 pipeline. But Donald Trump himself is criticized for wanting to prevent the pipeline only in order to be able to sell more American liquefied gas to Europe himself. It remains to be seen to what extent these serious allegations affect the relationship between Germany and the United States. (tko) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network

For decades, the gun lobby organization NRA has prevented stricter gun laws. Now the state of New York is suing the organization and demanding that it be dissolved. China wants Trump to be defeated in the upcoming elections - US experts assume.

List of rubric lists: © Kumm Vucci / dpa / AP