British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a Group of Seven (G7) summit videoconference in Cabinet Room 10 on Feb. 19.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a G7 summit videoconference on Friday (19). U.S. President Joe Biden told G7 leaders that “America is back,” but the French and German heads of state were not too receptive.
Biden said U.S. power and influence had been “undermined” over the past four years and stressed the importance of reinvigorating alliances and rededicating themselves to defending Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had their own opinions on the subject.
In his speech, Macron defended his concept of “strategic autonomy. He suggested that with Europe’s increasing focus on Asia, and China in particular, Europe can no longer be overly dependent on the United States as it has been for decades.
Macron wants NATO to be more of a political body in which European member states have equal status with the United States and are less subject to U.S.-dominated decision-making tendencies.
Macron insisted that a more autonomous Europe, better able to protect itself, would make NATO stronger than before. He said Europe should “take on more of the burden of protecting itself” and keep its commitment to increase defense spending to rebalance transatlantic relations.
Macron, determined to act now, decided to improve the EU’s technological capabilities in order to reduce dependence on the U.S. and Chinese supply chains. Biden, on the other hand, has expressed a desire to deepen supply chains among Western allies that include hardware and software to reduce dependence on the Chinese Communist Party.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is leaving office this year, but she warned, “Our interests will not always converge.” This appears to be a reference to Germany‘s ambivalence toward China as a major market for German cars and high-end products, as well as its ongoing disagreement with the United States over the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Russia.
Merkel is concerned about the complexity of dealing with the Chinese Communist Party, given its dual role as a competitor and partner of the West.
“In recent years, China (the CCP) has gained influence globally. As a transatlantic partner and a democracy, we have to do something to counter it,” Merkel said.
Many European countries, with the exception of France and Germany, agree with Biden’s proposition because they do not want to spend extra money. Central and Eastern European countries are also reluctant to entrust their security to countries other than the United States. In his speech, British Prime Minister Johnson warmly welcomed the United States back as the “leader of the free world.
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