The annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) has once again put the relationship between the United States and its Western allies under the spotlight. The US was, as expected, at odds with its main rivals Russia and China. However, there have been clear divisions on display between the Washington and the EU. Fars news agency has more on this issue:
The U-S Vice President, representing President Donald Trump, has denounced European powers over Iran and Venezuela. Mike Pence has called on the EU to follow Washington’s lead and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. US Vice President Mike Pence faced an embarrassing silence while addressing American allies at Munich Security Conference.
As if to expect an applause, Pence told the audience emphatically that “I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, Donald Trump,” before pausing to see the reaction, which was nothing but silence.
The 59-year-old traveled to Germany along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators Lindsey Graham, Christopher Coons and Sheldon Whitehouse. Pence’s visit was aimed at pursuing President Donald Trump’s “America First” policies.
"The United States expects every NATO member to put in place a credible plan to meet the 2 percent threshold. And, by 2024, we expect all our allies to invest 20 percent of defense spending on procurement," he said this at an award ceremony on Friday for the first recipients of a scholarship commemorating the late Senator John McCain, asserting that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "still need to do more." The US vice president also lashed out at Russia and China before their delegates.
Pence said, “Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States has also made it clear that China must address the longstanding issues of intellectual-property theft, forced technology transfer, and other structural issues in China that have placed a burden on our economy and on economies around the world.”
The US vice president described Trump’s presidency "remarkable" and "extraordinary,” claiming that "America is stronger than ever before and America is leading on the world stage once again.” This is while European leaders are fed up with Trump's erratic rhetoric, also pursued by his vice president.
The annual Munich Security Conference (MSC), where the United States and Western allies have long forged united fronts, erupted instead into a full-scale assault on the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
The US vice president described Trump’s presidency "remarkable" and "extraordinary,” claiming that "America is stronger than ever before and America is leading on the world stage once again.” This is while European leaders are fed up with Trump's erratic rhetoric, also pursued by his vice president.
The annual Munich Security Conference (MSC), where the United States and Western allies have long forged united fronts, erupted instead into a full-scale assault on the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
European leaders, would-be Democratic challengers and even Trump’s Republican backers took the floor to rebuke his go-it-alone approach. German Chancellor Angela Merkel led the charge, though, unleashing a stinging, point-by-point takedown of the US administration’s foreign policy and tendency to treat its allies as adversaries. And she lamented that the global order “has collapsed into many tiny parts.”
It was a rare display, because the 55th MSC was all about deepening divisions between Washington and the world community, even with traditional allies over questions such as Iran and Venezuela. No wonder it offered little hope in how to deal with threats ranging from nuclear arms to climate change, as well as misgivings about Washington’s role in the world.
Here, many world leaders saw US unilateralism as a threat and did not like the “America First” message by Vice President Mike Pence or questioning the usefulness of multilateral institutions including the European Union by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This is a view also shared by many Europeans, as stated in a report before the Munich foreign policy gathering by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.
Here, many world leaders saw US unilateralism as a threat and did not like the “America First” message by Vice President Mike Pence or questioning the usefulness of multilateral institutions including the European Union by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This is a view also shared by many Europeans, as stated in a report before the Munich foreign policy gathering by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.
True, there was no concerted response to it, except for Chancellor Merkel and a handful of others, including delegates from Iran, China and Russia. But it was a start. After all, what is wrong with calling on the isolated Trump administration to uphold the rules-based international order and global cooperation, and let go of short-termism?
Where does the US government think its foreign policy of threatening Iran, containing China, antagonizing Russia, withdrawing American troops and requiring European powers to fall into line in Syria would take the region and the world? And what is it with the calling for the European Union to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as president over Nicolas Maduro, all while going against the Venezuelan constitution?
Of course, such counterproductive pressures and threats only made world leaders and decision makers do the opposite, which is good news, but never enough. Even a divided America was on display where Pence and Democrats including his predecessor Joe Biden, offered competing visions of the trans-Atlantic relationship that could shape the world for years to come. The vision says multilateralism rather than unilateralism and dialogue rather than confrontation are what the Munich Security Conference should always be about and what the world urgently needs nowadays.
Of course, such counterproductive pressures and threats only made world leaders and decision makers do the opposite, which is good news, but never enough. Even a divided America was on display where Pence and Democrats including his predecessor Joe Biden, offered competing visions of the trans-Atlantic relationship that could shape the world for years to come. The vision says multilateralism rather than unilateralism and dialogue rather than confrontation are what the Munich Security Conference should always be about and what the world urgently needs nowadays.
The world community is sick and tired of endless wars and crises. Worse still, new crises are emerging at an unprecedented rate while the traditional wisdom of diplomacy is being challenged by the US and its handful of allies. Never have so many issues of fundamental importance to the multilateral system been challenged by Washington like this year. Top issues like the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, ending the wars in Syria and Yemen, the UN approved Iran nuclear deal, and trade disputes were all mentioned or challenged in speeches.
There is a more fundamental problem too: US unilateralism, confrontation, and closure, has been revealed to the world and played more frequently than any period since the start of this century. Thanks to the Trump administration’s go-it-alone approach, the value of multilateralism, international cooperation is no longer cherished and has been put in peril.
There is a more fundamental problem too: US unilateralism, confrontation, and closure, has been revealed to the world and played more frequently than any period since the start of this century. Thanks to the Trump administration’s go-it-alone approach, the value of multilateralism, international cooperation is no longer cherished and has been put in peril.
Then again, it’s never too late to make the Munich Security Conference for what it is: a reaffirmation of rules-based international order and ties. The foreign policy gathering should never be about preferring checkbook diplomacy to hard power, or demanding that Europe sides with Washington in its disputes with Russia, China and Iran. This should be the opportunity for the EU to stake out its own vision for European security, "strategic autonomy". If the EU claims to be a global actor, then it needs to show it in action.
The same is true for the rest of international civil society. It is about time the world community came up with a clear vision of global priorities and the capabilities to back the rules-based international order rhetoric. There is no other way to face down Trump and his go-it-alone approach.
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