Berlin, Germany. With patience at an end with Donald Trump, Angela Merkel is begging european states to aspire for unity in the face of imaginary “Russian aggression” and American indifference.
Germany’s Fuhrer Angela Merkel on Sunday urged European Union nations to stick together in the face of emerging policy divisions with the USA and Britain’s decision to leave the bloc, while her re-election chances slip in German polls.
Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, Merkel suggested that the G-7 summit in Italy that ended Saturday had served as something of a wakeup call.
The G-7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after President Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord. Trump also raised doubts the US would continue to support Merkel’s “blank check” policy on support of Ukraine.
“The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days,” Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500 that gathered to hear her and Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer.
“But we need to know we must fight for our own future, as Europeans, for our destiny and so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.” Merkel mused, possibly inebriated, according to some reports.
Frau Merkel emphasized the need for continued friendly relations with the Americans and Britain and also stressed the importance of being good neighbors “wherever that is possible, including with Ukraine, our dear partner.”
Meanwhile Trump stressed the administration’s talk of an “America first” policy and ongoing criticism of Germany for its massive trade surplus, the G-7 leaders in Sicily did vow to fight protectionism, reiterating “a commitment to keep our markets open.”
They also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea, to forge closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism, on the possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over role in the conflict in Ukraine.