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Annalena Baerbock in the USA: Foreign Minister in turbo gear

2022-01-05T20:49:42.265Z


Secretary of State Bearbock visits her US counterpart Blinken in the US, because of Corona it will be a drastically shortened visit. There are two main issues at stake - the Ukraine crisis and the nuclear deal with Iran.


Enlarge image

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock with her US colleague Antony Blinken: Shrunken travel program

Photo: Thomas Imo / photothek.net / imago images / photothek

The foreign minister had to put down her plans a lot.

Actually, Annalena Baerbock wanted to make a stopover at the UN in New York, with an overnight stay, then fly on to Washington, also take a break there.

Around three and a half days were originally planned for the trip.

But, as so often in these months, things turned out differently.

The omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is spreading rapidly in the USA, caused the program to shrink.

Now the visit of a Green politician who recently took the train from Paris to Brussels and wanted to set an example for climate-friendly travel for diplomacy seems far less ecological.

This time it is just over nine hours of flight time from Berlin to Washington, a stay of around eight hours in the US capital was planned, but in the end it will be a little more.

Nevertheless, it remains a visit to the turbo gear: Baerbock meets the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the spokeswoman for the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

So much effort for such a short trip?

One of the reasons for this fast-paced short trip across the Atlantic by the 41-year-olds is one of the reasons for one of the reasons for the 41-year-olds' short trip across the Atlantic.

Baerbock's visit comes before the anniversary of the storm on the Capitol.

The images from January 6, 2021 showed the vulnerability of the world's largest democracy live on television, when right-wing and far-right demonstrators penetrated parliament, many of whom felt spurred on by a speech by then electoral loser Donald Trump in which he spoke to the Had called march on the building.

US President Joe Biden has been in power for around a year now, and the initial euphoria has given way to disillusionment in view of the domestic political problems, which is also being registered in Berlin. It is feared that after Biden's presidency there is a risk of Trump running again - with an uncertain outcome.

Baerbock's appointment with Pelosi, one of the best-known faces of the Democratic Party, is also a sign, a commitment by the Green politician to the rule of law and democratic institutions in troubled times.

In Washington, she underlined once again that Baerbock stands for a values-led foreign policy.

Although they are working with China on climate policy and in the pandemic, they represent their own values;

Economic success and responsibility for democracy, the rule of law and fair rules are two sides of the same coin.

In the German G7 presidency, "strengthening liberal democracy" will play one of the "central roles", she assures, and also emphasizes the fight of the governments of the USA and Germany against "hatred and agitation".

You have already got to know blinking before

The Federal Republic's first female foreign minister is in office for almost a month, has already completed appointments in Europe, was in Paris, Brussels and Warsaw and at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Liverpool.

For Baerbock, the summit on the British Isles was a stroke of luck because, apart from the actual diplomatic talks, she was able to get to know important colleagues from the largest industrial nations better right from the start - including US Secretary of State Blinken.

So on her first visit to Washington, she doesn't meet any strangers.

Right at the beginning she reminds of her relationship to the country, in which she was exchanged for a year as a teenager.

German-American relations suffered under Trump, and they brightened under Biden. That too remains a message from this trip. The federal government, she says to Blinken, will "seek the best possible and close coordination with you, our partners and friends." But this sentence is also made, with a view to the American-Russian talks on Ukraine - and it describes a dilemma of German and European politics: There could be "no decision on the security of Europe without Europe," said the Greens.

The circumstances of your trip are far from favorable.

In snowy Washington, this time the meeting takes place under the particularly strict rules to combat the pandemic.

Only two German journalists, a man and a woman, are allowed to attend the press conference in the State Department.

The other German media representatives have to follow the press conference via a choppy stream from the German embassy, ​​but can at least ask questions.

Apparently, the digital world in the US capital can sometimes be as treacherous as it is in Germany.

Russia and Iran as the main themes

In the conversation between the Foreign Minister and Blinken, the main focus was on two trouble spots in the world: Russia's threats to Ukraine and negotiations with Iran on the continuation of the nuclear agreement.

In the coming week, on January 10th, the USA will discuss the crisis in Eastern Europe directly with Russia, two days later meetings between representatives of Russia and NATO are planned, on January 13th consultations between Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to follow.

These are cautious, hopeful signs, also from the perspective of the German Foreign Minister. But she does not have any illusions, that becomes clear on this journey. Baerbock is a realist. A renewed violation of Ukraine's sovereignty would have "serious consequences" for Russia, including in the financial sector, she says. There are double messages that are being sent, including from Washington. But she is glad that Russia is ready to take up the thread again. One has to look “again and again for the path of dialogue, openness and transparency”.

"Dear Tony", as she called Blinken at the beginning, becomes a little clearer.

The point is to determine whether Russia is serious about diplomacy.

"You have worries, we will listen, we have worries and we hope that you will also listen," says Blinken.

We will see "where the next few weeks will lead us".

There is only disagreement over the question of whether Ukraine should also receive weapons.

They have a »different view« than the USA, says Baerbock and emphasizes that Germany has been helping to set up a military hospital in Ukraine since 2014 and that wounded soldiers have also been brought to Germany for treatment.

The issue of Nord Stream 2, which is viewed just as critically in the USA as by the Green politician, still plays a role in the press conference that day. Nothing has changed in Baerbock's position. It can be summarized as follows: Should Russia actually invade Ukraine, this will also have consequences for the - currently suspended - commissioning of the German-Russian natural gas pipeline. Blinken says that if Russia were to take aggressive action against Ukraine it would be "very difficult" for the gas to flow. For Baerbock there is one message above all in this tense situation: everything is done to prevent further escalation, that is "the top priority of all". Although Baerbock has telephone contact with her Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, a visit to Moscow is still pending.It has been said that this could possibly take place in January.

Crises and more crises

Like her male predecessors, Baerbock has already landed in the crisis mode of world affairs after a short time.

The nuclear deal with Iran is also on the agenda in Washington.

The talks in Vienna may enter a decisive phase in the next two weeks.

In 2018, the US withdrew from the treaty under US President Donald Trump;

Germany, France and Great Britain, Russia and China stayed with Iran.

Now, under Biden und Blinken, a new edition of the agreement is being worked on with the USA in order to prevent Tehran from possessing nuclear weapons.

"There isn't much time left," says Baerbock to her American colleague, "but we use it in a coordinated manner."

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-01-05

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