Spiegel: Trump Wedge for Germany and France

Donald Trump is withdrawing the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement, re-imposing sanctions, and by doing so has divided Europe. The European Commission is considering a “blocking statute” to prohibit European firms from obeying US sanctions and pay out damages. “Behind the scenes, it was largely Macron applying the pressure, whereas Germany seemed to shy away from a confrontation with Trump,” reports a team of writers from Spiegel Online. Whether to respond with pressure or appeasement “has traditionally been a question most often raised when dealing with Vladimir Putin and the other strongmen of the world.” Trump makes snap decisions and then applies pressure to allies and major trade partners alike. The issue divides Germans as the US ambassador to Germany has suggested that the EU’s abiding by US sanctions is linked with exemptions on US trade tariffs. Iran expects the European Union, Russia and China to take a strong stance and use their combined economic heft – larger than that of the United States – to counter the US position. That requires a unified stance from the EU. – YaleGlobal