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After Warily Circling, Trump and Angela Merkel Prepare to Meet After Warily Circling, Trump and Angela Merkel Prepare to Meet
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — When President Trump welcomes Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to the Oval Office on Tuesday, their meeting will take on a symbolism unlike any he has held so far: The great disrupter confronts the leader some regard as the last defender of the liberal world order. WASHINGTON — When President Trump welcomes Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to the Oval Office on Tuesday, their meeting will take on a symbolism unlike any he has held so far: The great disrupter confronts the last defender of the liberal world order.
Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel are poles apart on issues like immigration and trade; they have circled each other warily since the American presidential election. But both sides, officials said, are determined not to let this first meeting devolve into a clash of competing worldviews.Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel are poles apart on issues like immigration and trade; they have circled each other warily since the American presidential election. But both sides, officials said, are determined not to let this first meeting devolve into a clash of competing worldviews.
Ms. Merkel has been studying Mr. Trump’s speeches to get an insight into the new president’s thinking. American officials said Mr. Trump would ask the chancellor for advice on how to deal with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, whom, after dozens of meetings over her 11 years in power, she knows better than any other leader in the West.Ms. Merkel has been studying Mr. Trump’s speeches to get an insight into the new president’s thinking. American officials said Mr. Trump would ask the chancellor for advice on how to deal with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, whom, after dozens of meetings over her 11 years in power, she knows better than any other leader in the West.
The threat posed by Russia to Europe could give Ms. Merkel and Mr. Trump a sliver of common ground. The Trump administration is demanding that Germany and its other NATO allies increase their military budgets, a message the Germans appear to be taking to heart, even if their spending still falls well short of what the United States would like.The threat posed by Russia to Europe could give Ms. Merkel and Mr. Trump a sliver of common ground. The Trump administration is demanding that Germany and its other NATO allies increase their military budgets, a message the Germans appear to be taking to heart, even if their spending still falls well short of what the United States would like.
“You might almost call it serendipity,” said Josef Joffe, the publisher and editor of the German newspaper Die Zeit. “Just as Trump is pushing the Europeans to shape up and pay up, the Germans have quite independently realized they are facing a strategic threat on their eastern border.”“You might almost call it serendipity,” said Josef Joffe, the publisher and editor of the German newspaper Die Zeit. “Just as Trump is pushing the Europeans to shape up and pay up, the Germans have quite independently realized they are facing a strategic threat on their eastern border.”
But if Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel find common cause on NATO, they risk new tensions over trade. Administration officials have railed against Germany’s huge trade surplus with the United States. One of Mr. Trump’s top economic advisers, Peter Navarro, recently accused Germany of exploiting its trading partners by depressing the euro to boost its exports.But if Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel find common cause on NATO, they risk new tensions over trade. Administration officials have railed against Germany’s huge trade surplus with the United States. One of Mr. Trump’s top economic advisers, Peter Navarro, recently accused Germany of exploiting its trading partners by depressing the euro to boost its exports.
Ms. Merkel plans to push back hard on what the Germans view as blatant protectionism. She is bringing a delegation of corporate chiefs from BMW, Siemens and other German companies with major American operations. They will talk about apprenticeship programs to train American workers.Ms. Merkel plans to push back hard on what the Germans view as blatant protectionism. She is bringing a delegation of corporate chiefs from BMW, Siemens and other German companies with major American operations. They will talk about apprenticeship programs to train American workers.
“The thing she’ll come back with is, ‘Do you know that there are thousands of Americans working for German companies in the U.S.?’ ” said Jackson Janes, the president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University.“The thing she’ll come back with is, ‘Do you know that there are thousands of Americans working for German companies in the U.S.?’ ” said Jackson Janes, the president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University.
Few leaders have displayed Ms. Merkel’s adroitness in handling swaggering, strongman leaders, whether it is Mr. Putin or Silvio Berlusconi of Italy. But in Mr. Trump, “she’s up against a different kind of testosterone-driven guy,” Mr. Joffe said. “Here is a guy who talked in the campaign as if he was going to put the ax to the liberal international world order.”Few leaders have displayed Ms. Merkel’s adroitness in handling swaggering, strongman leaders, whether it is Mr. Putin or Silvio Berlusconi of Italy. But in Mr. Trump, “she’s up against a different kind of testosterone-driven guy,” Mr. Joffe said. “Here is a guy who talked in the campaign as if he was going to put the ax to the liberal international world order.”
In an interview with a British newspaper in January, Mr. Trump said Ms. Merkel had made a “catastrophic” mistake in letting tens of thousands of refugees from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East enter Germany. “I respect her and I like her, but I think it was a mistake,” he said. “People make mistakes, but I think it was a really big mistake.”In an interview with a British newspaper in January, Mr. Trump said Ms. Merkel had made a “catastrophic” mistake in letting tens of thousands of refugees from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East enter Germany. “I respect her and I like her, but I think it was a mistake,” he said. “People make mistakes, but I think it was a really big mistake.”
He declined to say whether he would support Ms. Merkel in running for a fourth term as chancellor — a position repeated by a senior administration official who briefed reporters about her visit on Friday. It was a stark contrast to Ms. Merkel’s relationship with President Barack Obama, one of his closest with any foreign leader.He declined to say whether he would support Ms. Merkel in running for a fourth term as chancellor — a position repeated by a senior administration official who briefed reporters about her visit on Friday. It was a stark contrast to Ms. Merkel’s relationship with President Barack Obama, one of his closest with any foreign leader.
Ms. Merkel, however, also managed to have a productive relationship with President George W. Bush, even though he, like Mr. Trump, was deeply unpopular in Germany in the aftermath of the Iraq war. Some experts said that could be a blueprint for how she approached Mr. Trump.Ms. Merkel, however, also managed to have a productive relationship with President George W. Bush, even though he, like Mr. Trump, was deeply unpopular in Germany in the aftermath of the Iraq war. Some experts said that could be a blueprint for how she approached Mr. Trump.
“It’s a tightrope walk,” said Jeffrey Rathke, the deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “She needs a strong trans-Atlantic relationship.” But, he added, she “doesn’t want to be too close to the U.S. administration.”“It’s a tightrope walk,” said Jeffrey Rathke, the deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “She needs a strong trans-Atlantic relationship.” But, he added, she “doesn’t want to be too close to the U.S. administration.”
Ms. Merkel has studiously avoided a confrontation with Mr. Trump. She said she would judge him by his actions rather than his words. And she has dismissed as absurd the suggestion that she was the last bastion of a liberal world order — a label that would put her at odds with Mr. Trump.Ms. Merkel has studiously avoided a confrontation with Mr. Trump. She said she would judge him by his actions rather than his words. And she has dismissed as absurd the suggestion that she was the last bastion of a liberal world order — a label that would put her at odds with Mr. Trump.
When Mr. Trump first announced his temporary travel ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries in January, Ms. Merkel patiently explained to him over the phone that the Geneva Conventions oblige countries to protect refugees of war on humanitarian grounds.When Mr. Trump first announced his temporary travel ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries in January, Ms. Merkel patiently explained to him over the phone that the Geneva Conventions oblige countries to protect refugees of war on humanitarian grounds.
In their briefing on Friday, White House officials said they expected a “robust” exchange between Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel on issues ranging from the European Union and the financing of NATO to trade and the campaign against the Islamic State. There has been an unusual degree of preparation for this meeting, given that it is not expected to produce any significant announcements on economic or security issues.In their briefing on Friday, White House officials said they expected a “robust” exchange between Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel on issues ranging from the European Union and the financing of NATO to trade and the campaign against the Islamic State. There has been an unusual degree of preparation for this meeting, given that it is not expected to produce any significant announcements on economic or security issues.
For the Germans, however, the Trump White House remains something of a riddle. Hard-line ideological players, like Mr. Navarro and the chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, vie with more conventional, realist ones, like Gary D. Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, and Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the national security adviser.For the Germans, however, the Trump White House remains something of a riddle. Hard-line ideological players, like Mr. Navarro and the chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, vie with more conventional, realist ones, like Gary D. Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, and Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the national security adviser.
Mr. Navarro, for example, complains that Germany uses unequal treatment of a tax rebate on its exports to disadvantage American exports. Mr. Bannon told a visiting German diplomat that the White House viewed the European Union as a “flawed construct” and preferred to negotiate with Germany and other European countries one on one.Mr. Navarro, for example, complains that Germany uses unequal treatment of a tax rebate on its exports to disadvantage American exports. Mr. Bannon told a visiting German diplomat that the White House viewed the European Union as a “flawed construct” and preferred to negotiate with Germany and other European countries one on one.
The problem is that Germany, as a member of the European Union, cannot legally negotiate its own trade agreements with the United States. On Friday, another senior administration official who did not want to be identified conceded that point, saying that any new trade deal with Germany would have to be negotiated with the European Union. But that official also said Mr. Trump would raise Germany’s persistent trade surplus with Ms. Merkel.The problem is that Germany, as a member of the European Union, cannot legally negotiate its own trade agreements with the United States. On Friday, another senior administration official who did not want to be identified conceded that point, saying that any new trade deal with Germany would have to be negotiated with the European Union. But that official also said Mr. Trump would raise Germany’s persistent trade surplus with Ms. Merkel.
The chancellor is likely to make a fervent case for the European Union, not just as an economic bloc but also as a political project that has brought peace and prosperity to Europe. White House officials said Friday that Mr. Trump would not be shy about his views of Brussels, but that the United States wanted to keep a strong partnership with it.The chancellor is likely to make a fervent case for the European Union, not just as an economic bloc but also as a political project that has brought peace and prosperity to Europe. White House officials said Friday that Mr. Trump would not be shy about his views of Brussels, but that the United States wanted to keep a strong partnership with it.
Perhaps the most delicate topic for the two leaders will be Russia. Questions about link between Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia continue to hang over him, while Ms. Merkel is preparing to run for re-election in a Germany that is fearful that the Russian government will meddle in its campaign like it did in the United States.Perhaps the most delicate topic for the two leaders will be Russia. Questions about link between Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia continue to hang over him, while Ms. Merkel is preparing to run for re-election in a Germany that is fearful that the Russian government will meddle in its campaign like it did in the United States.
German officials are encouraged that Mr. Trump has so far not radically tilted American policy toward Moscow. But they point nervously to Breitbart, the far-right website until recently run by Mr. Bannon, which is setting up an outpost in Germany and could seek to influence the vote. Russia, they note, can cause plenty of mischief, even without help from the United States.German officials are encouraged that Mr. Trump has so far not radically tilted American policy toward Moscow. But they point nervously to Breitbart, the far-right website until recently run by Mr. Bannon, which is setting up an outpost in Germany and could seek to influence the vote. Russia, they note, can cause plenty of mischief, even without help from the United States.
“I think they’ll skirt around the Russia issue,” Mr. Janes of Johns Hopkins said. “They’ll stay at 30,000 feet.”“I think they’ll skirt around the Russia issue,” Mr. Janes of Johns Hopkins said. “They’ll stay at 30,000 feet.”