  Europe - US

After a one-week delay, Joe Biden has arrived in Germany for a state visit. His talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The outgoing US President will also receive Germany's highest order of merit. Europe's press sees reasons to praise Biden, but the cancelled Ukraine summit in Ramstein is still a topic.

Anticipating the dangers that the US's Inflation Reduction Act could pose to Europe's economy, the EU Commission reacted last week by presenting the Green Deal Industrial Plan. Commentators discuss the threats but also examine why the plan has not met with approval in all member states and is likely to be the subject of fierce debate at the EU summit on Thursday and Friday.

The EU Commission presented its Green Deal Industrial Plan on Wednesday. The goal is to boost the competitiveness of Europe's industry against that of China and the US. The measures include relaxing the rules on state aid for manufacturers of batteries, wind turbines, solar cells and hydrogen, as well as plans to reallocate unused funds from the Covid recovery budget, accelerate approval for green projects and promote trade agreements.

During the French President's state visit to the US, Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron demonstrated unity and assured Ukraine of their joint support. Immediately before the meeting Macron had described the US subsidies for American producers of environmentally friendly technologies as "super aggressive". Commentators fear a new trade dispute in which Europe will be at a disadvantage.

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US. Shortly after the NATO summit in Madrid in 1997 at which Romania's bid to join the alliance was rejected, the then US President Bill Clinton travelled to the country and gave relations between the two countries a special status through the partnership. The national press voices words of praise, but also criticism.

US troops could be stationed in Nato state Denmark in the future. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is currently negotiating a new defence cooperation agreement with Washington. Not all commentators have a good feeling about the move.

During Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the White House on Wednesday, Joe Biden promised Ukraine 60 million dollars in military aid to defend itself against Russian aggression. In a final statement, both presidents described the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a "threat to Europe's energy security". However Biden said calls to halt construction were unrealistic. Zelensky can nonetheless be satisfied, according to the Ukrainian press.

The meeting with Putin on Wednesday in Geneva was US President Joe Biden's last stop on his European tour - a veritable marathon that included EU, G7 and NATO summits as well as various bilateral meetings. Now that the Trump era has ended the US clearly seems to be seeking stronger cooperation with Europe once more, especially vis-à-vis China. Europe's press discusses where such aspirations will lead.

The EU and the US have agreed on a compromise in the dispute over subsidies for Boeing and Airbus: in an initial step they will suspend the mutual punitive tariffs for five years, thus defusing one of their MAIN trade conflicts. Some commentators see this as a major step forward. Others warn that nothing has been gained yet.

At their meeting on Monday, the Nato states for the first time adopted a clear position on China, which is described in the final declaration as presenting systemic challenges. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed, however, that this did not mean China is seen as an opponent or an enemy. Commentators discuss Beijing's point of view.

The G7 summit which took place in Cornwall, England, after having been cancelled in 2020 came to an end on Sunday. Hopes were high that far-reaching resolutions on climate protection and pandemic control would be reached, especially since participants had already agreed on a global minimum corporate tax before the summit. But according to most commentators the high expectations were not fulfilled.

US President Joe Biden announced the US's return to world politics and reaffirmed his country's commitment to old alliances at the Special Edition of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which was held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Commentators discuss how Europe should now position itself vis-à-vis the US - especially if relations with Russia and China continue to cool.

Paris and Berlin are at odds over Europe's future security policy. Both expect that even under Joe Biden the US will be less active internationally than in the past. But while French President Emmanuel Macron wants to invest in a sovereign Europe that can defend itself without the help of Nato and the United States, Germany's Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said it would be an illusion to believe the continent could go it alone in security policy.

All over Europe Biden's election has triggered a great sense of relief. Yet just days after his victory, the EU has imposed punitive tariffs on the US, an indication that the interests on both sides of the Atlantic are likely to continue to diverge. Commentators discuss what the change in the White House will mean for international politics.

The US wants to withdraw a quarter of its troops from Germany. Monday' video conference between the EU's foreign ministers and their US counterpart Pompeo ended without results. Recently there were also tensions over the G7 summit planned to take place in Washington in June, which Angela Merkel cancelled citing the coronavirus pandemic. Are we in for a freeze in transatlantic relations?

French President Emmanuel Macron caused a stir with an interview published by The Economist on Thursday in which he stated that the world is witnessing Nato's "brain death". He said that the Alliance lacked a consensus on strategic decisions and described the behaviour of Nato member Turkey as "uncoordinated and aggressive". This prompts commentators from Eastern European Nato states to doubt France's reliability as a partner.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has authorised the US to impose punitive tariffs on around seven billion euros worth of EU imports per year. The arbitrators approved this as a retaliatory measure against illegal subsidies granted to European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Following the ruling Washington announced it would impose tariffs on olives, cheese and whisky as well as aircraft. Commentators outline the potential repercussions.

In the ongoing trade dispute with the US the EU has raised import tariffs for a number of US goods. Tariffs for products like whisky, jeans and motorbikes were increased in retaliation for Donald Trump's import duties on European steel and aluminium products. Commentators support the move, even voicing hopes that the row will ultimately leave the EU in a better position.

French President Emmanuel Macron says that he has reached a consensus on a new deal with Iran with his host Donald Trump. Europe's press is closely following Macron's three-day visit to the White House since the Frenchman seems to be far more adept at dealing with Trump than other leaders. But for some journalists this itself is a cause of concern.