WOLFGANG ISCHINGER
Wolfgang Ischinger, former German Ambassador to the United States, is Chairman of the Munich Security Conference and Professor for Security Policy and Diplomatic Practice at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
“Instead of waiting in fear of the next Trump tweet, we Europeans should lay the foundations for a Europe that is strong, capable of taking action, and committed to Western values,” argues MSC chairman Wolfgang Ischinger in an op-ed for Project Syndicate.
For one thing, Europe must not ignore the majority of Americans who didn’t vote for Trump. The commitment of America’s civil society and the response of its judiciary show Europeans that the US they know and hold in high regard is no pushover. Instead of turning away from the US, we should cooperate with Americans who remain committed to preserving the transatlantic community of values. ….
Nonetheless, the mere speculation about decoupling European security from the US is giving rise to uncertainty, reflected in the emerging debate about a European – or even German – nuclear bomb. It’s a sham debate…
Europe’s only good option is to engage with the US administration as closely as possible – which doesn’t mean playing down deeply worrying statements made by Trump. … Engaging and influencing is the kind of realpolitik that is necessary now, even if many Europeans may not like the idea.
This means communicating, with utmost clarity, that the breach of vital European interests would bring about a major transatlantic crisis…..https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/european-security-relations-with-trump-by-wolfgang-ischinger-2017-02
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