On Friday morning, the German-American relationship is completely harmonious for a full 15 minutes. With a black S-class drives Ursula von der Leyen in front of the Pentagon. As soon as you get off, there are kisses from her colleague, acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan. For the guest from Germany, he even rang salute shots, then smashes the military band, the German and the American national anthem.
The well-to-do world, which also knows about the Leyen, is just a façade. Their visit to Washington will take place shortly after NATO's anniversary meeting, which President Donald Trump and his deputy had handpicked for Germany. First, President Trump had targeted Berlin for his low defense expenditures, his vice president Mike Pence hit shortly after in the same notch.
Also of the Leyen is confronted in Washington immediately with the topic. No sooner did she sit down at the conference table with Shanahan, does a US reporter in German call into the room when Germany will finally spend two percent of gross domestic product agreed within NATO on the Bundeswehr. At the latest it is clear what this visit will be about.
Von der Leyen has now prepared for the dispute a kind of standard lecture. First, she points out that the entire government has committed to reach at least the 1.5 percent mark by 2024. One should not let the much lower numbers in the press drive her crazy; in the past seven years she has always received more money than the medium-term financial plan envisaged.
Trump likes to beat Berlin
The minister sounds very obliging in the Pentagon. "Germany has understood that we have to do more," she says, "we know that we need a fair burden-sharing". Nobody really knows whether the Americans and the President, who is almost obsessed with Germany, can do it. Berlin has long since become a sort of sandbag for Donald Trump, facts do not count so much, he likes to beat Berlin.
During the visit of the Minister of Defense shows the behavior of US politicians, how difficult the game is out of touch and distance to the German politician for them: So meets of the Leyen Mitch McConnell Although one of the most powerful senators, since Trump's election victory and majority leader of the Republicans in the Senate, for a good half hour. But he does not want to go with the guest from Germany together with the press, just as the defense minister does.
Restraint among diplomats
There are many reasons for the conspicuous restraint. Diplomats say that none of the interviewees from Leyens wanted to give the slightest impression that he was too much in the mood for the president's favorite enemy. In addition, not only the security politicians of these days are afraid of questions about the many crazy decisions that they themselves do not share. Consequently, one prefers to remain silent.
Nevertheless, the appointment with McConnell is a sign that Leyen in the USA is being taken seriously as a conversation partner. The Republican has been instrumental in ensuring that many a tweet from the President, for example about the immediate withdrawal of the US from Syria or Afghanistan, remained largely without consequences. But politicians like him demand support from Europe, for example for the post-war scenario in Syria.
What that means exactly, does not know of the Leyen yet. Like most other German government members, despite the erratic president in the White House, she simply wants to try to talk as much as possible to his ministers. That Germany always gets a broadside from Trump, must accept them. The partnership is so strong that it can withstand irritation, she says shortly before the flight home.