Media: Germany fears that Trump will allow himself to be outsmarted by Putin
Many politicians and public figures in Germany expressed concern regarding the forthcoming meeting of the Presidents of the USA and of Russia that will take place on July 16 in Helsinki, Voice of America reports.
German media cite Peter Beyer, the Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation at the Federal Foreign Office who spoke about NATO’s concerns regarding the agreements that can be reached in the capital of Finland by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
According to Beyer, the recent meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised concerns that the President of the USA will let the Russian leader “outsmart him” in the same manner. “Kim only made promises but Trump called the Summit a success,” he recalls.
Christian Lindner, leader of the opposition liberal Free Democratic Party stated that he does not trust the President of the USA. Wolfgang Ischinger, renowned former diplomat and current board member of the Stockholm International Peace Institute pointed out that the Trump-Putin meeting will take place after the NATO Summit that will be held on July 11–12, during which differences between the USA and its allies can become more acute.
Earlier, Trump repeatedly criticized Germany for, in his opinion, insufficient funding of NATO. Speaking in Montana earlier, Trump stated that German Chancellor Angela Merkel asks the USA to protect Europe but at the same time, she concludes gas agreements with Russia.
Trump also said that “he has been preparing his whole life” for such events like meeting with Putin and he is sure that the Russian leader will not be able to “beat” him.