The Neighboring Force

The Munich Security Summit reveals an American-European difference in approach when it comes to issues related to Iran, Russia and Syria, and the American-German trade conflict amid mutual accusations and threats by Donald Trump to impose trade sanctions on Germany, which maintains a trade surplus with Washington.

Washington noted German dependence on Russian natural gas, whereas Angela Merkel pointed out that Russia is Europe’s partner and that the Munich summit offered a true chance to achieve fruitful cooperation and bridge the gap that keeps growing amid the conservative policies of the American administration.

Germany is aware of the powerful neighboring force as European countries have relied on Russian gas for centuries, even during the Cold War era, and that the new Russian pipeline project is meant to bolster a mutually cooperative relationship. Germany is also aware of the elements of a Russian-German agreement on Iran and American sanctions imposed on Tehran, whereas Washington believes that the trade mechanism and the European investment headed by Germany with Iran is a way to evade the sanctions.

Global American policy is, to say the least, excessive in that it is biased and self-serving, starting with the Arab-Israeli conflict, then with respect to Iran and extending to Venezuela and the open trade war on partners and rivals. This war exceeds the rules of the World Trade Organization and its charters.

In his speech at the Munich summit, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said that Iran is paving the way to a new holocaust for Israel, referring to the Holocaust during World War II, and maliciously overlooking the daily killing and daily terrorism by Israeli authorities and Israel’s barbaric army against Palestinian civilians and the daily violation of Palestinian rights.

It seems that the Trump administration doesn’t care about the public interest or about the power next door, as cooperation between countries and people is always based on dialogue, and conflicts are transient and quick to dissipate, as proven by the history of people and nations. The two world wars that destroyed most of Europe’s cities exist in the past for Europeans and the driving force behind Europeans now is dialogue, cooperation and personal interests.