Of course, nobody is going to say that it was the summit of the G19, but the approach of President Donald trump to international politics seriously impedes global unity in key issues such as climate change and free trade, depriving the States of their traditional role as the leader and replacing it with the insulation within the club, which has only one member.
However, one should not expect that trump will apologize.
The role that the U.S. took over at the summit Big twenty — forum strongest economies in the world, which in the past was dominated by Washington is consistent with the mandate of the trump for holding a nationalist foreign policy under the slogan “America first”.
When trump came on Board the presidential plane in Germany to make the long flight across the Atlantic, some leaders of the countries Big twenty have realized that their fears that he will take on the role of disruptive forces in the international arena, of course, came true.
Not so long ago, many U.S. allies had expected at this point, we finally enter the era of Hillary Clinton, will start to achieve some success on the basis of a shared vision of Western civilization will start to make steps in accordance with well-known conventional approaches to preserve our planet and to globalization.
Instead, they have to deal with sometimes capricious US President that seeks to rebuild the West in accordance with its own nationalist vision, which is against consensus and against the centrists of multilateral international politics and is not afraid to play on the differences between EU members.
Such a step down from the United States forced other countries, in particular Germany under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel, to take on the role of the traditional Western leader — is in itself striking, given that for several decades that Washington played a leading role in global diplomacy.
No press conference
After Saturday’s meeting in Hamburg trump refused to take part in the traditional press conference following the summit. As a result, the impressions of the summit shared leaders like Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of France Emmanuel macron, and the opinion of the United States and was not announced.
However, we do not need a press conference with trump to understand that the second overseas trip of US President demonstrated how he changed America’s role on the international stage since taking office six months ago.
The impression that the President feels more relaxed on the international stage, communicating with foreign leaders, conducting bilateral meetings and long negotiations at the highest level — despite the fact that his daughter Ivanka have caused some confusion by appearing at the negotiating table on Saturday instead.
Representatives of several countries at the summit blamed the US for trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. However, in the final communiqué of the summit Trump the indulgence has been made regarding the need to promote what he called “fair” trade. In the final agreement it was stated the need to fight protectionism, but at the same time recognized “the legitimate role of the protective tools of the trade”.
The final communiqué was an attempt to focus on the fact that Washington in General shared the view of the Big twenty in trade policy, although the leaders acknowledged the existence of deep differences in the approaches. President trump managed to win the election partly because of his statements that the major multilateral trade agreements have weakened the American economy. He has also expressed doubts about the existence of such a process as global warming, and said that the Paris climate agreement takes away US jobs.
Merkel used the word “regret” to describe their reaction to the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, the signing of which played an important role predecessor trump Barack Obama. The German leader noted that the remaining 19 members of the Big twenty club is convinced that this climate agreement “is not subject to cancellation”.
Russia’s role is growing again
The most important episode of trump’s visit to Germany was his two-hour personal meeting with Putin in the course of a bark, he raised the issue of Russian interference in presidential elections. However, the representatives of Russia and the USA in different ways commented on how President trump took Putin’s statement that Russia had no hand.
“He asked, again, a lot of questions on this topic. I was able to respond, answered all these questions, — said Putin on Saturday, July 8. — I think that he has taken note of this and agreed. But really, how did he take it, you better ask him.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, July 7, a senior official of the US administration told CNN that trump did not accept Putin’s statement that Russia had no hand to intervene.
Many critics trump will consider this meeting as a sign that Russia will not suffer any real punishment for its alleged attempts to contribute to the defeat of the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
However, this meeting was of great importance also in geopolitical terms. In fact, trump has invited Putin to return to the international stage as an equal player, explaining the key objective of the Russian leader, which consists in finding Russia’s lost influence. In June, the U.S. and the European Union have tightened and extended the validity of the sanctions imposed against Russia in connection with its intervention in Ukraine. European leaders hope that the meeting between trump and Putin will not lead to a weakening of the US position in the Ukrainian question now, three years after the capture of the Crimea by Russia.
U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson explained that the relationship between the two leading nuclear powers in the world are too important to not continue to struggle with alienation in them.
“As we begin to establish a relationship? As we continue to communicate? How will we work together?” he said.
To some extent, trump confirmed cases their statements about what he is able to expertly make deals with Russia and Jordan, he became Chairman of the session on the conclusion of another agreement on ceasefire in the South-West of Syria. This agreement can contribute to the cooperation between the US and Russia in Syria after its liberation from ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia — approx. ed.), critics consider it a sign of the consent of Washington to the growing Russian influence in the region.
What are the principles that define the West?
Obviously now there are serious disagreements about which principles should defend the West — block of the liberal, democratic, globalized Nations that dominated world politics since the end of world war II.
In speaking of trump, which he delivered Thursday, July 6 — it has become one of the key moments in his presidential career was set out such a worldview, which differs materially from the picture of the world of his predecessors.
This speech delivered by the President, who tried to impose a ban on entry to the USA for citizens of the six predominantly Muslim countries and which suspended the admission of refugees has become an outspoken criticism of European leaders, who adopted the Muslim immigrants, whose coming, according to critics, threatens Western values.
“Do we have the desire and courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who want to destroy it?” he said, probably referring to the Merkel, which took in Germany, hundreds of thousands of refugees and that during the election campaign trump sharply criticized for this decision.
Although the statements of the trump can appeal to the people of Poland and of her right to the government, they are able to lead to a conflict with the leaders of other States-allies of the United States, who believe his actions and rhetoric much more dangerous threat to Western values, than immigration.
Maintaining the link with the United Kingdom
Germany and Europe in General are extremely dissatisfied with regular critical remarks of the President on the trade imbalance between Washington and Berlin — Merkel has repeatedly raised this issue in their speeches now that she’s getting ready to be re-elected for a new term.
Although trump has actually isolated himself from most of America’s allies at the summit Big twenty, he cleverly offered valuable political gift to the Prime Minister of great Britain Teresa may.
The President stated that, in his opinion, the agreement which will strengthen the UK’s position after its exit from the European Union, it will be possible to conclude “very, very quickly.”
