Der SpiegelDer Spiegel

Horror scenario: Germany prepares for possible re-election of Donald Trump

By Markus Becker; Markus Feldenkirchen; Marina Kormbaki; Veit Medick; Ralf Neukirch; Christian Reiermann; Jonas Schaible; Gerald Traufetter

28 Apr 2023 · 12 min read

Editor's Note

Der Spiegel reports on how Berlin is bracing for the possibility of a second Trump presidency and the potential repercussions on Ukraine, NATO, and the global climate crisis.

Berlin is preparing for the possibility that Donald Trump could beat Joe Biden in the next election. That outcome would likely be a disaster for Ukraine, NATO and the looming climate crisis. Diplomats have begun establishing contacts with the former president's camp to avoid being blindsided as they were in 2016.

It seemed like the 45th United States president, whose ancestors came from Germany, had an obsession with the country, but not a positive one. It often seemed as though he regarded Germany as America's greatest enemy, even as he got along splendidly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and others of his ilk. At least those ties were better than his relationship with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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