The man whom critics dismiss as “the little Trump” may not have captured many hearts and minds in Germany but more often than not, he has succeeded in winning the argument. Across a range of issues — from opening the German market to American LNG (liquified natural gas) to taking custody of a suspected Nazi war criminal, to pulling the landing rights of an Iranian airline — Berlin, after much resistance, has succumbed to Washington’s (read Grenell’s) will. [...]
Still, many in Berlin regard Washington’s objections as a transparent attempt to peddle the country’s LNG, which is more expensive than Russian gas. Some also believe Grenell’s aggressive criticism of the German position could end up hurting his cause.
“I agree with him that Nord Stream 2 is a problem, but I think that the way he’s pursuing it is sadly highly likely to isolate the German critics,” said Constanze Stelzenmüller, an analyst on transatlantic affairs with the Brookings Institution. “I find that unfortunate.”[...]
In addition, Germany is almost completely reliant on the U.S. for its security, whether in terms of the nuclear deterrent or intelligence-sharing. For the foreseeable future, talk of a “European army” is little more than a fantasy; even if Europe could agree on a strategy and funding (which it hasn’t), such a force would take decades to build.
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