The apron strings that bind Germany to the US are old and strong. Berlin has not forgotten that America did more than any other nation to set West Germany back on its feet after the Second World War. Besides the renewed threat of a catastrophic trade war, they are publicly at odds over Russia, China, Iran, migration, energy policy and defence spending. The election of President Trump, a nationalist and isolationist, has turned Angela Merkel’s ally into a nightmarish liability. This is partly because of a profound divergence of the two governments’ world views.

Source: The Times February 19, 2019 00:11 UTC