km. In recent days it has become known that representatives of the US and Russian governments are preparing a summit meeting of the presidents of both countries, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The US National Security Advisor John Bolton was in Moscow therefore. The meeting is scheduled for 16 July and shall take place in the Finnish capital Helsinki – a historical place (CSCE) for an understanding between East and West.
Since the election of Donald Trump, US tried to prevent a summit like that. Allegations against the US president (“Russiagate”) served this purpose among othes. Donald Trump’s hand should be tied, the success of a meeting with the Russian president should be prevented at the outset. For Donald Trump had repeatedly stated in the election campaign that he was interested in trying to improve the extremely tense relations between the two countries. This concern met with massive resistance in the US and European Politicians who had committed to the previous governments and the candidate Hillary Clinton.
It is interesting that also the current attempt of the US-American and the Russian president, to talk to each other is considered with sometimes sharp polemics. And not only in the “New York Times” and the “Washington Post” in the USA. In Germany, almost all supra-regional mainstream media have adapted to the specifications of the two US newspapers. Read the comments of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the “Welt”, Spiegel online and also on Deutschlandfunk and tagesschau.de. Interesting is the thrust direction. “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” of 29 June 2018 e.g. writes that “a good relationship between America and Russia is in the best interests of Europeans,” and adds that “the global rivalry between Washington and Moscow was held first of all on our continent”. At the same time, however, it is said in the same sentence that both had only applied “earlier.” Today all this applied no longer because Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are “practicing nationalists” who “take little care” on European interests.
What do you think of such phrasing, considering that after the Second World War all US governments did a great deal to keep Europe in a vassal status? “America first” was also in the decades before Donald Trump, but meant something else: the integration and instrumentalization of Europe for US interests. The interests of many European people remained secondary, even among European governments. Donald Trump has another variant. He defines “America first” not only in the meaning, that the US should focus on preserving its national interests. In other states, he does not see servant vassals any more, but rather “competitors”. Considering its meaning for the states of Europe, there are different signals. “Deals” are usually something that should benefit both parties. But there are also strong signs that point in a different direction.
If the US President really should be able to improve the US-Russian relationship and avert the danger of a major war, this is to be welcome. Concerning the summit White House speaker Lindsay Walters said, the US president hoped to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to relax the situation and engage in constructive cooperation. Literally she said: “Mr President attaches great importance to this conversation in order to find out whether Russia is interested in developing relations with the USA.” Would the European States not do better to think of their interests too and also to improve their relationship with Russia? •
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