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President Trump landed in France on Friday and immediately attacked President Emmanuel Macron for his recent call for a "European army", calling this idea "very insulting" and renewing pressure on the country for it to contribute more to NATO.
"French President Macron has just suggested that Europe build its own military forces to protect itself from the United States, China and Russia," Trump told Twitter. "Very insulting, but maybe Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, that the United States is subsidizing a lot!"
Trump was reacting to remarks made by Macron earlier this week when he said that Europe was "the main victim" of Trump's decision to withdraw from the 1987 treaty on intermediate-range nuclear forces with Russia.
"We will not protect Europeans if we do not decide to form a real European army," Macron said, according to the Wall Street Journal. He also regrouped in the United States with the countries against which France needed protection.
"We must protect ourselves against China, Russia and even the United States," he told French radio.
Trump is in France to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, where he will join other world leaders and meet Macron – who is facing political turmoil at home and is likely to take a stance. harder on the President than previous meetings.
Macron met Trump on American soil in April at a meeting of public poetry, smiles and affection. Macron, who called Trump "dear Donald" ("Dear Donald"), engaged in a clumsy punch with, before receiving a kiss from the US president.
"We have to make it perfect," Trump said later, after clearing "dandruff" from the dashing centrist's shoulder. "He is perfect."
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But even in April, there were signs that things were not perfect between the two. Trump is the de facto leader of Western nationalism, while Macron has emerged as the leading international advocate of European globalism. In a speech to Congress, he called for the preservation of the Iran nuclear deal and the climate deal in Paris – to which the United States withdrew under Trump's leadership.
At the United Nations, in September, the Frenchman made a gesture against Trump's nationalism, criticizing a unilateral approach that implies "a certain anarchy in which everyone pursues his own interests".
"I will never stop defending the principle of sovereignty, even in the face of a certain nationalism that we see today, brandishing sovereignty as a means of attacking others," he said just hours after the speech. Trump in front of the General Assembly.
The spitting of the European army indicates that relations could deteriorate further.
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Trump has often complained of the burden imposed on the United States by NATO obligations, noting that the United States has a huge military budget, part of which is devoted to the protection of the United States. allies abroad – including Europe. In July, he complained: "We are protecting Germany, we are protecting France, we are protecting everyone, yet we are paying a lot of money to protect.
NATO itself does not have a defense budget, but its members commit to spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense spending – although many countries do not meet this commitment. For 2018, the United States spends 3.5% of its GDP on defense. Meanwhile, France spends 1.81% and only a handful of NATO countries respect this 2% commitment.
According to NATO figures, the total defense spending of all NATO members in 2017 amounted to $ 917 billion, while the United States spent about $ 618 billion. dollars, or about 70% of the total membership of NATO. However, this figure applies to all US defense expenditures and not to NATO contributions. The United States also pays about 22% of NATO's common funding.
But Trump's dissatisfaction with the comments is probably due in part to the fact that Macron ended up in the United States with the justification of the traditional European enemies.
Nigel Farage, former leader of the British Independence Party, told Fox Business's Stuart Varney on Friday that the army was a sign that Macron was a "eurofanatic".
"For Macron, just days before President Trump commemorates the centennial of the end of the Great War, World War I, I think it was absolutely dead-end in the extreme," Farage said, a contributor to Fox News. "Maybe you can now see why the results of his poll collapse in France."
The idea of a kind of European army has been evoked on the continent for decades in various forms. However, it is unlikely that many countries will provide support. Italy is currently experiencing a nationalist and Eurosceptic resurgence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces pressure from nationalists in her country as Britain leaves the European Union.
But if Macron's idea is perhaps a little extreme and premature, it may also reflect the political difficulties he faces at home. His approval rates have dropped by 29%, while he faces accusations of being out of reach and that he is struggling to cope with domestic economic problems and the repercussions of the migration crisis of 2015.
A number of politically sensitive viral moments – including the fact that he recently told an unemployed gardener to look harder for a job – did not help.
But Macron has dispelled his worries about the slow number of polls. In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, he noted that unlike Trump, he still had not worried about the number of polls.
"I have a big advantage, I do not have mid-term elections, so I'm not motivated by polls," Macron said. "I have to reform the country deeply. We will keep exactly the same rhythm. "
Despite the possible tensions between the two, Trump seemed confident in his trip.
"It should be nice," he told reporters before leaving on Friday.
