On Berlin Wall anniversary, Germany urges US to reject ‘egoism’
BERLIN (AFP) — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the United States to be a “mutually respectful partner” and reject nationalism, in a clear salvo aimed at US President Donald Trump as Germany on Saturday marked 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989.
Recalling the US’ key role in helping bring down the hated Wall separating communist East Germany from the capitalist West, Steinmeier said he still hears the late American president Ronald Reagan’s
cry of “tear down this wall” at the iconic Brandenburg Gate.
But in a swipe at Trump’s America First policy and his insistence on building a wall on the southern border with Mexico, Steinmeier voiced a yearning for a return of the transatlantic partner of the past.
“This America as a mutually respectful partner, as a partner for democracy and freedom, against national egoism – that is what I hope for in the future, too,” said Steinmeier.
The German president’s sharp words, as he opened festivities at the spot where
Reagan once stood, underlined growing tensions between the traditional allies.
Germany has been deeply rattled by Trump’s go-it-alone attitude on issues ranging from the Iranian nuclear policy to trade with Europe and climate change.
From Washington, Trump sent a message of congratulations for the commemoration, adding that the US “will continue working with Germany, one of our most treasured allies, to ensure that the flames of freedom burn as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire world to see.”