On August 23rd, 2019, the President of the United States Donald Trump will fly to Europe to the G7 summit in France, where he will meet with the new British Prime Minister Boris Johnoson, Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. During his European visit, Trump will also visit the President of the Republic Poland Andrzej Duda to highlight great Polish-American relations for the third time.
The decision to visit Poland again and to ignore Germany’s visit is not surprising to foreign policy observers – Donald Trump does not hide his aversion to Germany. The President of the United States believes that Germany is getting rich at the cost of the US in NATO structures – to be more precise, it does not finance some institutions’ budgets – primarily those related to defense – in proportion to the economic level of the country. Trump has repeatedly pointed out and demanded higher expenditure from Germany – at least 2% of GDP.
What’s more, the President of the United States – in contrast to contacts with Andrzej Duda – just can’t establish a good relationship with Angela Merkel and probably doesn’t even care about it anymore. Meetings of the US President and Chancellor of Germany take place in very formal and cold conditions. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that Chancellor Merkel leads a cunning, more competitive and offensive than simply profitable and economical game, among others by creating in Germany an extremely low interest rate on loans, which Trump called “almost paying people who lend money”.
As a result of the not entirely honest and understandable movements, Donald Trump lost any initiative to warm up relations, which can be manifested, for example, by delaying his hand to Merkel in the spring of 2017 in the White House and refusing to embrace during D-Day celebrations in Great Britain.
It is worth noting that Donald Trump as the President of the United States in Germany was only once and it was not a direct meeting with Angela Merkel, but the G20 summit in Hamburg. Germany’s actions on the international stage still do not please the President, who during his visit will not fly to Berlin, emphasizing the bad relations of both countries.
According to experts, consistent ignorance of Germany, in addition to emphasizing opposition to incomprehensible economic movements of the state (inadequate funding in NATO, unprofitable and unprofitable loans), also has strategic reasons and intent.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND AND THE FIRST LADY AGATA KORNHAUSER-DUDA
The American President will fly over Germany and spill in Poland for the second time. He visited Poland for the first time on July 5, 2017, while in June 2019 he hosted Andrzej Duda in Washington. This is the third meeting with Andrzej Duda, during which heads of state will discuss the topics of American military troops stationed in Poland, Nord Stream 2 and further strategic activities. Thus, Trump shows that Warsaw means more to Americans than Berlin. – Poland has become an influential player in Washington and has more influence than Germany – said Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation, describing Poland as the second – after the Great Britain – the most important US ally.
The last meeting of Duda and Trump in June this year was not strictly a diplomatic exchange of conventions. Heads of State have concluded a number of agreements, including increasing the permanent presence of American troops in Poland, the purchase by Poland of 32 multi-role F-35 combat aircraft, joining Poland to the visa-free regime program, signing another contract for the supply of 2 billion cubic meters of gas from the United States and signing agreements to strengthen cooperation on preventing and combating serious crime.
– I can not wait. I like this nation – said Trump, responding to the invitation of the Polish President. The head of the United States will be in Poland from August 31 to September 2. The culmination of Trump’s visit to Poland will be his presence during the celebration of the eighty anniversary of the outbreak of World War.
