The German Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, says that she can’t discern exactly what Trump’s position is relative to Russia. At one point, he’s talking about being ‘tough’ on Russia, and then the next he’s meeting with the Russian President in Helsinki to improve bilateral ties, and even going so far as to assert that he holds both sides responsible for the deterioration in relations. What really seems to cast a cloud over the issue is the fact that nobody really knows what happened during the meeting between the two presidents beyond what was disclosed during the press conference held afterwards.
Sputnik reports:
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump does not appear to have a clear strategy regarding Russia, judging by his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki earlier this month, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said.
“A clear strategy of a US president regarding Russia is not discernible after the meeting [in Helsinki]… The issue with Helsinki is that nobody knows what was discussed there and even what agreements were reached,” von der Leyen told Der Spiegel news magazine in an interview published Friday.
The German defense minister added that NATO’s stance regarding Russia remained unchanged.
“We would like to improve our relationship with Moscow, but it depends on the Kremlin,” von der Leyen told the newspaper.
Trump and Putin met in the Finnish capital on July 16. The two presidents held a one-on-one discussion which lasted over two hours, followed by a meeting with several more officials.
Trump and Putin later held a joint press conference during which the two presidents expressed interest in improving bilateral relations, albeit without providing any details with regard to policy or strategy.
Perhaps that’s why so many are talking about trying to find some way to discover what actually happened during that meeting. One Democratic senator is even suggesting subpoenaing Trump’s interpreter to get the goods on what went down, as unrealistic as that prospect may be. Others are looking at other means, but the core issue is that we are all beholden to the press conference to determine just what happened and what it means for the West’s posture towards Russia, as this is something that is essentially governed by Washington. If good relations exist between countries of the West, it is largely because Washington either permits it, or else it occurs despite Washington’s interests. Therefore, having a good grasp on how Washington perceives Moscow makes all the difference on how nations of the West intend to position themselves, their trade, and even their own domestic policies, especially relative to energy.
The post Germany’s Defense Minister perceives no definitive strategy towards Russia from Trump appeared first on The Duran.