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Reuters

In 2009, US vice-president at the time Joe Biden went to Munich to “press the reset button” with Russia.
A decade later he returned to offer the world better relations, this time with his own country.
Promising that “America will be back” once Donald Trump leaves office, Biden won a standing ovation at the Munich Security Conference from delegates who find the president’s brusque foreign policy stance hard to like.
But their elation also exposed the weakened state of Western diplomacy in the face of Trump’s assertiveness, according to European diplomats and politicians who were present.
Biden’s successor, Mike Pence, was met with silence at a reception in the palatial Bavarian parliament on Friday evening after he delivered his signature line: “I bring you greetings from the 45th president of the United States, President Donald Trump.”
In a second speech on Saturday, Pence claimed a renewed US leadership under Trump to a scattering of applause from mainly US officials.
“We have just seen two days of data that says that is manifestly untrue,” said Kori Schake, a former director for defence strategy and requirements in president George W. Bush’s National Security Council, and now deputy director of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Schake, a Republican, pointed to the awkward silences during pauses in Pence’s two speeches. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was met with a standing ovation.

"The room was silent for a very long moment" --
Pool report on VP Pence opening remarks at John McCain Award Ceremony at Munich Security Conference.
Here's video after Pence says: "I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump" pic.twitter.com/xrkq9WOb9q
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) February 15, 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>


WashPost @griffwitte & @michaelbirnbaum report "Merkel was followed to the podium Saturday by Vice President Pence, who was met with only tepid applause - & some incredulous looks - when he proclaimed Trump 'the leader of the free world'”
Here's video of that moment in Munich: pic.twitter.com/Q1JhCRgOHi
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) February 17, 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

Pence’s four-day trip to Europe succeeded only in deepening divisions with traditional allies over questions such as Iran and Venezuela and offered little hope in how to deal with threats, including nuclear arms and climate change, diplomats and officials said.
Misgivings about Washington’s role in the world are being felt by ordinary people as well as foreign policy specialists.
In Germany and France, half the population see US power as a threat, up sharply from 2013 and a view shared by 37 per cent of Britons, the Washington-based Pew Research Centre said in a report before the Munich gathering.

Asked about European anxiety over Trump’s leadership style, a senior US official on Pence’s Air Force Two plane said the vice-president’s speech on Saturday at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof would “help give them a different perspective”.
But if the Europeans did not like the “America First” message, there was no concerted response to it. Merkel was on her own after a last-minute cancellation by French President Emmanuel Macron.

That caused some to lament the failure of the West to uphold the rules-based international order that Washington itself championed in the 70 years that preceded the arrival of Trump in the White House.
“The tit-for-tat logic is unfortunately prevailing … I think that takes us back to the question of enlightened leadership,” said Thomas Greminger, secretary general of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a security and human rights watchdog.
“We need leaders again who do not believe exclusively in short-termism,” he said.
It fell to China to aid Merkel in her defence of the post-second world war order, as State Councillor Yang Jiechi spoke in English for over 20 minutes about the virtues of open trade and global cooperation.
China, US trade barbs over Huawei and South China Sea at Munich conference
Pence’s message was, in fact, that the pillars of US foreign policy were being rebuilt on a different foundation: isolating Iran, containing China, bringing American troops home and requiring European powers to fall into line.
After using a speech in Warsaw on Thursday to accuse Britain, France and Germany of trying to undermine US sanctions on Iran, Pence called in Munich for the European Union to recognise Venezuelan congressional leader Juan Guaido over President Nicolas Maduro, whom he called a dictator.
That drew an angry response from Spain’s Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, who said the European Union could acknowledge Guaido as interim president until new elections, in line with the Venezuelan constitution.
French foreign minister Jean-Yves LeDrian said he was mystified by US policy on Syria after Trump’s decision to withdraw troops because it would only benefit Iran, which Washington wants to be tough on.
European diplomats and officials also took issue with Pence’s insistence that EU governments stay away from Chinese telecoms companies as they build the latest generation of mobile networks, preferring first to have an internal discussion about the potential risks and US claims of Chinese espionage.
“US pressure has a tendency to make us do the opposite. US pressure is counterproductive. It’s best that they don’t try and pressure us,” a senior French diplomat said.
Whatever the threats, officials seemed to be mainly talking past each other.
Kumi Naidoo, global head of Amnesty International, said security was often defined too narrowly, failing to address the possible dangers of climate change.
“The narrative here at the Munich Security Conference is broken. They are talking about the right topics but in the wrong language. The mentality here is that security is only a national issue,” Naidoo said.
Leaving for Washington, Pence was unfazed, telling reporters his trip had been very successful.
“We’re advancing the interests of the free world, and we’ve made great progress.”
Additional reporting by Bloomberg

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Diplomacy

Mike Pence went to Europe with greetings from Donald Trump. The silence was deafening

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and US Vice President Mike Pence (L) leave after a photo call during the 55th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany, on February 16, 2019. - The 2019 edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) will take place from February 15 to 17, 2019. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reacts during the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 16, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

Yang Jiechi, China's Politburo member, speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel took President Donald Trump to task before an audience of senior security officials, calling his administration’s suggestion that European autos are a threat to U.S. national security a “shock.” Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg

US Vice-President Mike Pence speaks at the annual Munich Security Conference. Photo: Reuters

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World

Europe

US vice-president’s Europe trip highlighted Western divisions
Officials talk of lack of leadership on global issues


Western divisions laid bare at this year’s annual gathering of the transatlantic security community in Munich.


European Union

Donald Trump

Mike Pence

Mike Pence went to Europe with greetings from Donald Trump. The silence was deafening

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}US vice-president’s Europe trip highlighted Western divisions Officials talk of lack of leadership on global issues

US vice-president’s Europe trip highlighted Western divisions

Officials talk of lack of leadership on global issues