German foreign minister sets out proposed US strategy

Germany’s foreign minister is setting out proposals for a “balanced partnership” with the United States that would include setting up payment channels that are independent of the U.S. Heiko Maas wrote in Wednesday’s edition of the daily Handelsblatt that he envisions taking “our balanced share of responsibility” and being “a counterbalance when the U.S. crosses red lines.” Maas said the U.S. and Europe have been drifting apart since before Donald Trump’s presidency. But he also criticized recent decisions such as Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and said it was right to protect European firms against new U.S. sanctions. He said it’s indispensable to “strengthen European autonomy” by setting up payment channels independent of the U.S., creating a European monetary fund and an independent Swift transfer system.