What was the atmosphere at the meetings in New York and Washington?
It was a visit to the largest multilateral organization in the world, but at the same time the largest and most powerful country in the world, who is also a hosted to the UN. And there is an interesting discrepancy here, since the US administration has been systematically working to break down the multilateral order from the first day of its term. And of course the question is whether a country that is so active in multilateral decommissioning can attract a good host and partner to the largest multilateral organization in the world. All this, of course, has implications for the relationship between Washington and Brussels. In all our discussions with US officials, we had the impression that US-European relations are in a really special situation and that the partnership between Europe and the US has never been more pressured. That's an absolute fact. On the other hand, the figures point to continued cooperation. 70 percent of all US investment comes from EU member states. So, if one believes in the US and shows that trust with money, then it is the EU.
How much in the Donald Trump era can be any talk of a strategic alliance between Europe and the US?There are more and more issues being shared dividing the EU and the US.
Trump's policies really calls that partnership into question, and it's questionable how much of the partnership is at stake. Trump's open welcoming of Brexit is an indication that he does not want the united Europe to thrive and expand, but rather to push for its decomposition. Trump's reluctance to Europe is also reflected in the trade war and the introduction of customs duties on aluminum and steel, with the announcement of the introduction of customs duties on cars, by stating that as defence of their fundamental national interests.
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