Europe shaken by reality of Trump’s regime and his move on the Iran deal
Berlin — Following US President Donald Trump’s decision to decertify the Iran nuclear deal this month, shaken European capitals are asking themselves what he will do next. Diplomats have sketched scenarios they fear could plunge transatlantic relations into crisis: a trade war, military conflict over North Korea, or the collapse of a Cold War-era arms treaty. They wonder if their post-war alliance can survive if any of them come true. Since Trump took office nine months ago, governments in Berlin, Paris and London have wavered between alarm at his rhetoric and a shaky sense that his worst instincts can be contained by the "grown ups" in his cabinet and pressure from allies. But the Iran decision, taken despite personal appeals from France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Britain’s Theresa May, has changed the calculus in Europe, according to diplomats, politicians and analysts. No longer is there an underlying confidence that Europe can muddle through three more years ...
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