German Foreign Minister Said Europe Can No Longer Fully Rely On The White House

On Monday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Europe can no longer fully rely on the White House.

“We can no longer completely rely on the White House,” Maas told the Funke newspaper group. “To maintain our partnership with the U.S. we must readjust it. The first clear consequence can only be that we need to align ourselves even more closely in Europe. Europe must not let itself be divided however sharp the verbal attacks and absurd the tweets may be.”

Maas’ comments come after President Donald Trump recently referred to the European Union as “a foe,” with regard to trade.

“Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade,” Trump said. “Now, you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe. Russia is a foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly they are a foe. But it doesn’t mean they are bad. It doesn’t mean anything. It means that they are competitive.”

The “absurd” tweets Maas referred concern Trump’s attempt to use Germany as a distraction during the controversy over family separations at the U.S. border.

Last week, Trump met with British Prime Minister Theresa May and told her she should “sue the E.U.” instead of finishing the current negotiations with the E.U.

Article by Steven Abendroth