The Atlantic Alliance is fighting for its financing

It is a high honor to be in front of both chambers of Congress for a speech. On Wednesday, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the U.S. Parliament was invited to the 70. To speak on the anniversary of the founding of the military Alliance, was also a bipartisan Signal of support from Democrats and Republicans for the Alliance. The true importance of the Nato enjoys currently in the United States, could be measured, however, the fact that Stoltenberg's speech was transmitted in any news channel live. TRANS-Atlantic is interested in, apparently, not very.

Stoltenberg's speech was a praise of the past. He recalled that the United States and Europe have jointly stood against the Russian threat, and after 9/11 together in Afghanistan in the fight against terrorists will be drawn. "Nato was good for Europe," he said. "And Nato was good for the United States."

The Problem, of course, the present is. The reigning US President, Donald Trump is not fully of the view that Nato is good for America. He sees the Europeans as a kind of security, political parasites, the of the United States to their defense pay. As the first U.S. President since 1945, he has expressed public doubt as to the meaning of the Alliance. The Argument put forward by Stoltenberg in his speech, the strength of a country is evident in the number of his friends, would not write the unilateralist Trump probably.

Trump renounces threats

That was the reason why Stoltenberg warned the Europeans from Washington, their defense spending to continue to increase. Only by rising military budgets in Europe, Stoltenberg's calculation, to leave Trump to move, to get the Alliance to continue. The distribution of the burden in the Alliance should be "fair," said Stoltenberg.

on the previous day, the Norwegian Stoltenberg had discussed this delicate subject with Trump in Washington personally. The U.S. President again criticized the Federal government, which has taken the White house in the debate on the increase in defence expenditure particularly to the visor: "I have great sympathy for Germany and Angela Merkel. But Germany doesn't pay what it should pay. This is very unfair," said Trump.

unlike at the Nato summit in July of 2018, but he declined to threats, the US could leave Nato. Clear commitments to Nato and the American Alliance obligation but only by Vice-President Mike Pence, defence Minister, Patrick Shanahan and security adviser John Bolton.

a shake of the head tried over the German Budget

The German foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, of the criticism from the United States to counteract. "Germany is reliable. We are in Nato because we need them," he says, before he from New York to a ceremony in Washington to 70. Anniversary of the Nato traveled. In a speech on Wednesday afternoon, he wanted to emphasize there, according to the manuscript: "We have submitted expenditure, a clear commitment to higher defense, and we intend to keep our word."

Berlin has said the Nato to increase until 2024 the defense budget to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product. In the new budget for the coming years, only a value of 1.23 percent for the year 2023 is provided. In the United States to sharp criticism. Self-confidence of the politicians who are sympathetic to Berlin, responded shaking with entsetztem head.

The view of the foreign Minister, Maas, according to which Nato should be seen not only as a defence Alliance, but as primarily as "an Alliance of values" that have a political function, meets in Washington with skepticism. (Editorial Tamedia)

Created: 03.04.2019, 21:44 Uhr