| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Bush rejects moves to boost EU military might |
| 2005-02-19 |
| President George W Bush set strict limits on the EU's global ambitions last night, saying that there was no need for the Franco-German goal of forming an alternative superpower. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, his first with a British newspaper since his re-election last year, he pointedly rejected a call by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for Nato to be overhauled. Mr Schröder's words have been widely interpreted as an attempt to give the EU's fledgling foreign and military bodies more muscle. "I disagree," Mr Bush said. "I think Nato is vital. Nato is a very important relationship as far as the United States is concerned. It is one that has worked in the past and will work in the future just so long as there is that strong commitment to Nato." Echoing Tony Blair's repeated calls for Europe and America to work together, Mr Bush had emollient words for Europe's leaders before his visit next week. He implicitly acknowledged that the time for the unilateralism of his first term was over. His message next week would be that America needed Europe on its side and could not "spread freedom" alone. Despite a series of unresolved disagreements he was clearly determined to bolster hopes on both continents that they could rebuild some of the relationships that were shattered in the bruising transatlantic rows of his first four years in office. "My trip to Europe is to seize the moment and invigorate [the] relationship," he said. "We compete at times but we do not compete when it comes to values." Mr Bush will become the first American president to visit the European Commission and, given his supporters' deep misgivings about the EU's ambitions, he had remarkably warm words for European integration. "I have always been fascinated to see how the British culture and the French culture and the sovereignty of nations can be integrated into a larger whole in a modern era," he said. "And progress is being made and I am hopeful it works because one should not fear a strong partner." Asked about the draft European constitution, he cited the difficulties that the United States had faced in formulating its federal system of government. There's been speculation that Bush will favour Blair by talking favourably about the proposed Constitution. But there was no hiding his view that the EU should not try to counter-balance the power of America. He delivered a pointed rebuff to Mr Schröder who suggested last week that Nato was no longer an adequate body for consulting and co-ordinating the vision of its members. "I look forward to talking to him about exactly what he meant by that," Mr Bush said. "Some have said we must have a unified Europe to balance America. Why, when in fact we share values and goals? As opposed to counter-balancing each other, why don't we view this as a moment when we can move in a concerted fashion to achieve those goals?" The president said it was up to him to "do a better job of explaining the common goals and the fact that by working together we are more likely to achieve them for our own security". This is assuming that those goals remain common. They're divergent in some areas, to say the least. Mr Bush was speaking to The Daily Telegraph and four other European news organisations before his departure tomorrow. He will spend two days in Brussels, meeting Nato and EU officials, and a day in the German city of Mainz to meet Mr Schröder. Finally, he will meet President Vladimir Putin of Russia in the Slovak capital, Bratislava. Mr Bush sought to play down disagreements over how to confront Iran on its nuclear programme. Asked why America was not formally joining the diplomatic initiative of Britain, Germany and France towards Teheran, he said: "We have made it clear that we agree with the objective to get rid of the weapons." But he added an unmistakable note of threat to the ruling clerics. "The Iranians 
just need to do what the free world has asked them to do," he said. "And it is pretty clear: give up your weapons programme." He added that he would continue to say what he thought in his second term. "I don't see how you can deal with people if you are not straightforward." |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #6 As a show of good faith he is reportedly bringing Herr Schroeder a case of black |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-02-19 5:28:30 PM |
| #5 Ah, when he goes to the Land of the Nuance, he can Nuance with the best of them, heh heh. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-02-19 5:24:10 PM |
| #4 Article: He implicitly acknowledged that the time for the unilateralism of his first term was over. That's code for GWB didn't actually say it, but we'd like to think he did. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-02-19 4:52:15 PM |
| #3 "I have always been fascinated to see how the British culture and the French culture and the sovereignty of nations can be integrated into a larger whole in a modern era," he said. Yeah, it'll be a cold day in Hell. |
| Posted by: Tom 2005-02-19 12:56:30 PM |
| #2 Mr Bush had emollient words for Europe’s leaders before his visit next week I don't think I've EVER heard that word used that way LOL. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-19 12:55:21 PM |
| #1 President George W Bush set strict limits on the EU’s global ambitions last night, saying that there was no need for the Franco-German goal of forming an alternative superpower. Dudes, Viagra doesn't help when you don't have a dick... |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-02-19 12:46:02 PM |