Munich security conference : Merkel's ironic Offensive against Trump

Angela Merkel has tried in her last appearance at the security conference as Chancellor, to take some of the conflict by the dry Humor of her sharpness. You don't understand that the USA consider German cars as a threat to national security, to find a pretext for punitive tariffs. "We are proud of our cars. We may also,“ she said, triggering laughter in the room. "These cars are built in America." The largest BMW plant is in South Carolina, not in Bavaria. This Sunday is the deadline for a decision by the US Department of Commerce ends, whether the Import of cars and car parts from Europe to the national security threat. Then US President Donald Trump criminal could impose customs duties.

With the same pragmatism you spoke to trump's threat of Sanctions against companies involved in the gas pipeline "Nord Stream 2". The project will lead to problems for Ukraine. The need to solve. The question of whether Russian Gas will come mainly from the Ukraine, or in the future propagated by the Baltic sea to Germany, but leads to a new situation. "It will be Russian Gas." So far there have been no security problems.

Merkel also rejected the U.S. pressure to rapidly increase the German defence expenditure. You should confess to the target to achieve two per cent of the gross domestic product. But if the economy is not collapsing, use the expenditure on the defence, she said. Then it is easier to achieve with the same total a higher percentage of the GDP, but "the stronger the armed forces are not thereby". More important than the scale of what Germany contributions in practice. It was "already not bad", she referred to the stakes in Afghanistan, Mali and elsewhere.

"Bad for us in Europe,"

Merkel appealed against the Trend in the United States, to decide questions of the future without consultation with the allies, of the talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, to new Russia sanctions: "It has no sense that each country drives its own set of sanctions."

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The future for the INF Treaty, which prohibits nuclear medium-range weapons, was "very, very bad for us in Europe". The cause of the "year long breach of contract by Russia". However, "the answer may not lie in blind Upgrade". Here, too, international co-operation, trust would have to be found worthy of answers. They called on China to participate in disarmament treaties. At the end of her speech, Merkel got long applause and a Standing ovation.

US Vice-President Mike Pence exercised harsh criticism of Germany, called for higher defense contributions, and threatened, with respect to the pipeline with the withdrawal of the Alliance's commitment. "We can't guarantee in the West of the defense, if the Alliance partners from the East." Pence spoke of a new Era of American strength, thanks to trump's leadership. To contradict his predecessor, Joe Biden, Vice President under Barack Obama's speech a little later. "Can lead only, who has a Partner." Trump verprelle allied, because one cannot talk of leadership.

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Merkel at the Munich security conference As head of government in the free world

Stephan-Andreas Casdorff

Yang Jiechi, a member of China's Politburo celebrated, supported Merkel's call for greater multilateralism, prohibited, but a "interference in internal Affairs".