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Merkel received Trump’s invitation and “thanks” him, but “given the epidemiological situation, she can’t take part in the event personally, going to Washington,” Seibert said.
Merkel’s refusal de facto disrupts the summit that Trump announced as a “signal to return to normal” after months of quarantine and travel bans. French President Emmanuel Macron, the premieres of Japan and Canada, Shinzo Abe and Justin Trudeau, have already agreed to attend the event.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic was named as the official reason for the refusal, Merkel’s decision highlights growing tensions between Germany and the United States, which is accusing Berlin of supporting Russia with gas purchases of more than €10 billion a year, reluctance to finance NATO’s defense budget and close the US trade deficit, reaching $70 billion a year.
source: politico.com
Merkel’s refusal de facto disrupts the summit that Trump announced as a “signal to return to normal” after months of quarantine and travel bans. French President Emmanuel Macron, the premieres of Japan and Canada, Shinzo Abe and Justin Trudeau, have already agreed to attend the event.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic was named as the official reason for the refusal, Merkel’s decision highlights growing tensions between Germany and the United States, which is accusing Berlin of supporting Russia with gas purchases of more than €10 billion a year, reluctance to finance NATO’s defense budget and close the US trade deficit, reaching $70 billion a year.
source: politico.com
