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"Germany's shifting defense policy and the future of U.S.-Europe ties."

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Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

 

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March 6, 2025

Hello, everyone. Today at WPR, we’re covering Germany’s shifting defense policy and the future of U.S.-Europe ties.

But first, here’s our take on today’s top story:

South Korea-Poland: The two countries’ foreign ministers signed a cooperation agreement yesterday in Warsaw, with a primary focus on security and defense. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul also said Seoul was launching a $2 billion assistance package for Ukraine. (AP)

Our Take: With all the recent headline-grabbing news regarding European security and the trans-Atlantic alliance, an undercovered aspect of the reconfiguration of the global security landscape has been...

	Subscribe to WPR to read our take on today’s top story.

Defense topics were largely absent as a campaign issue in the runup to Germany’s recent elections. Nevertheless, when CDU leader Friedrich Merz—now the likely next German chancellor—announced his three priorities for any potential coalition government the day after the vote, Germany’s defense policy was first on his list. Since then, developments in trans-Atlantic relations have only made the issue more urgent.

Now, as the first meetings to negotiate a possible coalition government take place in Berlin, what debates are taking place on the directions of security and defense policy for Europe’s largest and economically strongest country? And what changes are to be expected?

Columnist Ulrike Franke writes:

Merz Just Shifted Germany’s Defense Policy Into Warp Speed By Ulrike Franke Security policy has become the most urgent challenge for Germany. Its prospective government isn’t backing away from it.

*****

There is little doubt that with Donald Trump as U.S. president, the trans-Atlantic alliance as we have known it, embodied primarily by NATO, is gravely wounded, perhaps irreparably. Trump is upending the security and diplomatic structures that have shaped the world’s geopolitical foundations since the end of World War II. The erosion of NATO’s cohesion will weaken the U.S. and Europe. It is a misguided initiative deliberately triggered by Trump.

And yet, Europe and the U.S. are not about to march off on their separate ways. Their military and diplomatic bonds will undoubtedly look different moving forward. But Europe and the U.S. are linked by more than just security and political ties, columnist Frida Ghitis writes.

The U.S. and Europe Are Linked by a Lot More Than an Alliance By Frida Ghitis The trans-Atlantic alliance is gravely wounded, but Europe and the U.S. are not about to march off on their separate ways.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump’s long-threatened 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico went into effect, while the existing 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports was doubled to 20 percent, reflecting Trump’s hostility to the liberalized global trade regime the U.S. has long supported.

This week’s question: Is free trade a net positive for the world?

Yes. No.

We’ll select one person from those who answer the question above to receive a free month of full access to WPR.

A new U.N. report released today says that women’s and girls’ human rights are under attack globally, 30 years after a landmark blueprint for achieving gender equality was adopted at the 1995 U.N. World Conference on Women. The report said that nearly a quarter of countries worldwide reported a backlash to women’s rights last year.

The phenomenon by which feminism generates a backlash against gender egalitarian reforms and aspirations is not new, but it does appear to be on the rise once again. As Hilary Matfess wrote in July, understanding how this backlash manifests, and preparing for it, is critical for those seeking to build a more egalitarian future.

Women’s Rights Advocates Must Factor in the Anti-Feminist Backlash By Hilary Matfess July 25, 2024 | Understanding how the backlash to feminism manifests, and preparing for it, is critical for those seeking to build a more egalitarian future.

*****

Yields of cocoa in Ghana, the second-largest exporter of the crop, plunged 20 percent last year, in part because cocoa farmers in the country are increasingly selling their farms to illegal gold miners, the Financial Times reports. Locally known as galamsey, illegal small-scale gold mining has boomed in Ghana as the price of gold has risen.

Among other issues it raises, galamsey can be detrimental to the environment, worsening pollution and deforestation, which is one of the reasons successive Ghanaian governments have vowed to crack down on the practice. But as Audrey Donkor wrote last year, despite these promises, the problem only appears to be getting worse.

In Ghana, Deforestation and Illegal Gold Mining Go Hand in Hand By Audrey Donkor Jan. 12, 2024 | Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has an ambitious plan to halt and reverse deforestation. He’ll have to tackle illegal gold mining first.

*****

The National Endowment for Democracy—a U.S. government-funded semi-autonomous organization—is suing the U.S. government and some Trump administration officials for withholding nearly $250 million in congressionally appropriated funds. The NED has for decades played a key role in promoting democracy abroad, including in Latin America, where the funding freeze is being viewed as a broken promise from Washington. As James Bosworth wrote Monday, that will do long-term damage to U.S. interests in the region.

*****

In response to new U.S. tariffs, China’s Foreign Ministry said it will “fight to the end” with the U.S. in a “tariff war, trade war or any other war.” The blunt rhetoric underscores how seriously Beijing and Washington are now contemplating the mechanics of a sustained great power conflict. As Daniel W. Drezner wrote in January, the trend toward conceiving of great power war as a possible scenario could itself make war more likely.

More from WPR

Eduardo Arcos on Mexico’s security strategy. Aryn Baker on the climate impact of militaries. Francisco Serrano on Syria’s economic challenges. Mary Gallagher on the problems with China’s growth model.

Read all of our latest coverage here.

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