Does Germany hold more cards than Americans realize? | Berlin Briefing Podcast

Nina Haase

DW Chief Political Correspondent

So, Ines, if you could just maybe help me get this thought across that there is a lot... Germany and Europe do hold cards, right? Also, in terms of defense, what are the cards that you would say Germany needs to put into the window more?

Ines Pohl

DW Washington Bureau Chief

I mean, you just explained it, right? There are major, very strategically, highly important operations being led in Germany. And then, of course, also the wounded soldiers being flown in. That's something many, kind of, American families have experienced, that Germany plays a major role here. But, Nina, the problem is, when it comes to the public discourse, Donald Trump has really, kind of, taken this understanding away and is dominating the discourse with exactly what you said: "Germany and Europe... They have great schools. They don't pay anything. They have great streets. They have everything cheap for the average people because we pay for them." And this is, kind of, this is what most Americans believe now. They don't — I mean, if you talk, of course, to a military expert, they would totally agree that the United States needs Germany also for their own security and safety reasons — but the average Americans don't see that anymore, especially as Donald Trump also says, you know, "I'm a peacemaker. I stopped so many wars. I want us to be less involved in other countries, militarily-wise." So, Germany, in this strategic thinking, is becoming even less important. That's, I think, not true. But if you ask the majority of the Americans, they would, I think, go by now with Donald Trump's false claims.

For more news go to

Follow DW on social media:

Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie