German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that the world is beginning to feel that the United States does not aspire to play a leadership role in the world, and that it wants to adjust its priorities accordingly, and the German chancellor confirmed, in an interview with a group of six European newspapers, including the "Guardian" The world has been "living with a recognized concept that the United States wants to remain as a global power, and if it wants to play this role with its own free will, we have to think about it carefully."
Merkel, the first German leader to grow up on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, has repeatedly spoken of admiring the global influence of the United States, and when she spoke to Congress in 2009, she expressed her fear of the "amazing gift of freedom" that East Germans received after the Berlin Wall was dropped with US support . But even during the presidency of former President Barack Obama, Merkel watched her government over and over again that the German government was rebuked by the United States for its low military spending, in addition to criticism against it that intensified during the era of Donald Trump, who recently confirmed, his plans to withdraw 9,500 American soldiers from The bases in Germany.
Merkel says in an interview with the British newspaper "The Guardian", "German" Sueddeutsche Zeitung, "French" Le Monde "," Spanish "" Lavandardia "," Italian "" La Stampa ", and Polish" Politika ", that the American military presence in Central Europe in The interests of the United States, and “The American forces in Germany not only help protect Germany and the European part of NATO, but also preserve the interests of the United States of America.”
Speaking of German military spending, Merkel said: "We in Germany know that we have to spend more on defense. We have made significant increases in recent years, and we will continue on this path to strengthening our military capabilities." But "thinking very deeply" for Merkel does not seem It amounts to supporting what the French President, Emmanuel Macron, described as "strategic autonomy", which is the ability to defend the continent without relying on the United States.
European autonomy
"Look at the world and look at China or India," Merkel says in her interview. "There are compelling reasons to stay committed to transatlantic defense and within our shared nuclear umbrella, but of course Europe needs to shoulder a greater burden than during the Cold War." Certainly, the United States aspires to be a world power, and if it wishes to play this role of its own free will, we must think about it carefully. ”When asked whether Germany played down the threat posed by Russia, Merkel recognized a pattern of aggressive behavior that Russia has taken on. , Citing "disinformation campaigns", and the murder of Chechen exile, Zlimkhan Khanshvili, in Berlin, where the German prosecutor accuses Moscow of ordering the liquidation. "The murder of the Tiergarten Park in Berlin is dangerous, it is clear that the entire matter is now being verified by the court," the chancellor said, "In any case, we recognize hybrid warfare and destabilization methods as a form of Russian behavior."
On the other hand, you see that there are good reasons to continue constructive dialogue with Russia, in relation to countries such as Syria and Libya, and the countries neighboring directly to Europe, given Russia's great strategic influence.
Britain's exit from the European Union
In a question about whether Britain’s exit from the European Union without a deal at the end of the year constitutes a personal defeat for Merkel, she replied in the negative: “Because of course it will be in the interest of Britain and all the European Union member states to leave Britain in an orderly manner, and this can only happen if This was what the two sides wanted, and it does not matter what we want but rather what Britain really wants. ”And she says that the British government must define for itself the relationship that it will establish with us after leaving the union, and then it will have to coexist with the consequences of that, of course, with an economy. It is less connected with Europe, and if Britain does not want to have rules on the environment and the labor market, or social standards such as those in the European Union, “Our relations will be less close, and this means that it does not want to continue the same developmental standards that are parallel with the European Union.” "And she concludes her speech by saying:" We need to abandon the idea that we have to determine what Britain wants, but Britain must determine what it wants, and we in the European Union will respond appropriately. "
Corona and Recovery Fund
In a question about the "recovery fund" proposed by Merkel to avoid the negative consequences of the crisis of the "Corona" epidemic, and that her proposal is a major concession to the countries of the South, she replied: "I do not find it useful to talk about the countries of the North, the countries of the South and Eastern Europe, because this is a vision of things in black and white. She adds: "I expect each of us to always put himself in the other person's place, and to think about the problems from the perspective of the other."
And she says that in a crisis of this size, every member is expected to do what he has to do, what to do in this case is unusual, Germany has a low debt ratio and can, in this exceptional case, carry more debt, it is very important For us, too, to keep the program within the limits of European treaties, “and all of this is in our interest as well, of course, and it is in Germany’s interest to have a strong internal market, and for the European Union to come close to each other, not to collapse as is always the case, what is good for Europe is good for us we too".
But it added that the recovery fund could not solve all of Europe's problems. But its absence will make all the problems of the European Union worse, and the economic situation in Europe can affect many things. Unemployment rates can become very high in one country, and potentially explosive politically in another country, and thus the threat to democracy increases, and for Europe to live its economy needs To stay.
In a question about whether the recovery fund would ignite a move towards (the United States of Europe), she said: “I consider this fund a unique response to a unique position. If we want to change the basic aspects of the way the European Union’s budget is managed, or for example giving the Union the right to Increasing taxes, we will have to amend treaties, and this would change the stable balance between efficiency and oversight. ”She added:“ I am sure that this will be discussed in the coming years, but we must discuss it with caution, and in the current situation we cannot wait for the treaties to be modified. "We have to respond quickly to the epidemic." This fund offers the solution.
Partnership with China
In a question about whether the European presidency sought to find a common strategy to deal with China is still in place, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that because of the epidemic, "We cannot hold the summit with China in September, as planned, but we intend to hold it later", stressing The aim of this is to strengthen relations between the European Union and China, she added: “We share interests, such as cooperation in climate action, and we negotiate an investment agreement, but we did not move forward with that, as we have to first discuss our development policies in Africa, where they follow "China is a different path in some areas."
At the same time, she said, this summit obliges the European Union to develop a common position toward China, and this is not an easy task. “We must develop a policy that reflects our interests and values, and above all, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and our concerns about the future of Hong Kong stand between us and us.” China, and we are dealing with it publicly. ”