Will Scholz Meeting Biden Silence Domestic and International Criticism?

July 7 White House US-Germany Summit Meeting

Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Major foreign media reported on the 6th (local time) that attention is focused on whether German Chancellor Olaf Scholz can quell criticism directed at Germany during recent Western discussions on sanctions against Russia and restore trust with allies at his first US-Germany summit since taking office.

Chancellor Scholz will hold a summit with US President Joe Biden at the White House on the 7th. This is the first US-Germany summit since Scholz took office in December last year. It is particularly noteworthy because the US and Germany have shown somewhat divergent stances in their approach to Russia regarding the resolution of the Ukraine crisis.

President Biden has been leading the Western pressure campaign against Russia, recently deciding to deploy an additional 3,000 troops. On the other hand, Germany has been criticized for being passive on Russia sanctions by refusing to transport weapons to reinforce NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces.

Chancellor Scholz is facing criticism both domestically and internationally. The German opposition points out that Scholz has not shown a clear stance in responding to the Ukraine crisis. They also criticize him by comparing his approach to that of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who took active measures when Russia occupied Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, said, "Europe's peace and freedom are facing a great crisis, but the Chancellor is nowhere to be seen," adding, "Former chancellors would have acted differently from Scholz."

From Scholz's perspective, managing internal affairs is also a concern. The Green Party, which is in coalition with Scholz's Social Democratic Party, opposes the war, while another coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party, does not want confrontation with Russia.

It is also a headache for Scholz that Gerhard Schr?der, a former German Chancellor from the Social Democratic Party, was appointed last week as a director of the Russian gas company Gazprom. After leaving office, Schr?der played a role in constructing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline directly connecting Russia and Germany and has been friendly toward Russia. Schr?der even sparked controversy by criticizing Ukraine.

Ulrich Speck, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, diagnosed that Chancellor Scholz lacks experience in foreign affairs and has faced one of the biggest global crises in recent years immediately after taking office.

Meanwhile, controversy grew after the publication of a memo by German Ambassador to the US Emily Haber through a Spiegel report last week. The memo contained content that the US Congress views Germany as an obstacle to Russia sanctions. According to Republican members of the US Congress, Germany's biggest concern is securing Russian natural gas, and thus Germany has chosen to align with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last week, US Republican Senator Rob Portman targeted Germany, saying, "It is very shocking that Ukraine is not receiving the weapons it needs because NATO member countries have not approved weapons transport." He was pointing out Germany's refusal to transport weapons to strengthen NATO forces.

Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI), a German think tank, said, "Germany's standing is collapsing in the US," adding, "Chancellor Scholz has a lot to do to restore trust."

German officials expect that the US-Germany summit will yield results to restore trust between the two countries. They claim that the two leaders will reach a consensus on the necessity to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine and especially that Germany fully agrees with the Western sanctions against Russia.

Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor at the White House, said in an interview with Fox News on the 6th that the US and Germany will find ways to reduce differences and have closely cooperated on Russia sanctions. Sullivan emphasized that although Germany has not provided significant military support to help Ukraine, it has provided substantial financial aid. He also added that from a military perspective, Germany is an important base for defending NATO's eastern flank.

Recently, the German government has consecutively invited key Biden administration officials such as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA Director William Burns to Germany. In this regard, there is also an assessment that Chancellor Scholz is making considerable efforts behind the scenes to actively maintain relations with the US.

After his visit to the US, Chancellor Scholz is scheduled to hold talks with the leaders of the three Baltic states in Berlin. He will then visit Ukraine on the 14th and Russia on the 15th. Prospects for a meeting between Chancellor Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin are mixed.

Within Germany, there is analysis that Scholz's remarks will make Putin feel more trust. Since Germany has a friendlier relationship with Russia than other European countries, it is believed that Germany could exert influence.

However, Fellow Speck predicted that Germany will not be able to influence Putin's actions. Speck pointed out, "Russia is making it clear that it no longer considers Germany an important dialogue partner," adding, "Russia only sees Germany as part of the US sphere of influence."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.