Transatlantic relations are not what they were.
Neither is the relationship between France and Germany.
European leaders are concerned by U.S. president Donald Trump’s America First policy.
They’ve differed with him in several areas, from Iran to China.
This was reflected during the annual Munich Security Conference.
Divisions arose between leaders as they discussed whether the West is losing influence — to other global powers.
The answer from the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was ‘everything is just fine’.
Pompeo boasted the ‘West is winning’ and the transatlantic alliance is not dead.
He rejected remarks by Germany’s President who warned that the United States is putting its own interests first, at the expense of its allies.
But is the U.S. stance on global politics really that positive for western powers?
Or is it undermining their alliance?
Presenter: Peter Dobbie
Guests
Glenn Diesen, Professor of International Relations at the Higher School of Economics, and author of ‘The Decay of Western Civilization and Resurgence of Russia’.
Theresa Fallon, Director of the Centre for Russia, Europe, Asia Studies and Former Member of the Strategic Advisors Group to NATO.
Roderic Wye, Associate Fellow at Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House and Former Counsellor and Head of Research on Asia in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
China is the third largest country in the world by area and the largest country in the world by population. Properly known as the People’s Republic of China, the political territory of the country includes Tibet and Hong Kong. The capital is Beijing.
Donald John Trump was the 45th President of the United States. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality. Trump was born and raised in Queens, a borough of New York City, and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School.
France is a republic and the largest Western European nation. Through expansion and colonisation in the 17th and 18th centuries France became a great power and still retains territories around the world. It has a seat on the UN security council and is the world’s fourth most wealthy country with a high standard of living and strong cultural identity.
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe. It lies between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic led by a chancellor. With over 83 million inhabitants of its 16 constituent states, it is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, as well as the most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Berlin, and its financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.
Mike Pompeo is an American politician, diplomat, businessman, and attorney who, since April 2018, has been serving as 70th United States secretary of state. He is a former United States Army officer and was Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from January 2017 until April 2018.
President Donald Trump nominated Pompeo as secretary of state in March 2018, with Pompeo succeeding Rex Tillerson after his dismissal. Pompeo was confirmed by the Senate on April 26, 2018, in a 57–42 vote and was sworn in the same day.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth’s oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east