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Bush Set for Fence-Mending Trip to Europe
WASHINGTON - The fence-mending trips, makeup meetings and friendly photo ops spread over the past two years have failed to repair problems between President Bush (news - web sites) and European leaders.
But the president's visit to Europe next week holds the promise of better relations for the simple pragmatic reason that disgruntled allies know they have to work with him for four more years.
Bush is unpopular in Europe for ordering the invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) and pursuing what is widely seen as a foreign policy that ignores the views of other countries. Many leaders did not hide their hope that Democratic Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) would win the presidency in November.
But Bush's victory, coupled with expanded Republican power in both houses of Congress and successful elections in Iraq, have forced European leaders to adjust their strategies to deal with reality.
"I think there is a recognition this president has got his mandate and speaks for a lot of Americans," said John Bruton, the European Union (news - web sites)'s ambassador to the United States.
European countries are not expecting any major changes in U.S. policy as a result of Bush's visit, Bruton said. But he said they hope Bush will listen to them with an open mind "with a view to possibly a change in position if their arguments are good enough."
"What they are hoping for is an increase in the level of trust," Bruton said. "I think we're going through a phase of intense rapprochement" and that leaders on both sides of the Atlantic were trying to "put right what went wrong."
Bush's trip, the first overseas visit of his second term, is being viewed on both sides of the Atlantic as a U.S. charm offensive. Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, said Europe and America were entering a new phase of cooperation.
"We are overcoming a period ... linked to Iraq that has had some tension between the Europeans and Americans," Solana said . "This is over. What we have to do is look to the future."
Bush will fly to Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday for a three-night stay. He will hold a dinner with French President Jacques Chirac, the most vocal critic of U.S. policy in Iraq. Bush also will meet with NATO (news - web sites) leaders and visit the headquarters of the European Union, the political organization representing 25 countries with a population of 450 million people. The visit to the EU headquarters is seen as an important sign that he takes the European Union seriously.
Bush also will stop in Germany for talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, another prominent critic of the United States in Iraq, and will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) in Slovakia. The Slovakia meeting will be closely watched for any sign that Bush scolds the Russian leader for retreating from democracy.
Bush has made clear that he is looking for a fresh start with European allies after heated differences over Iraq. Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic say they are committed to the reconstruction of Iraq. But there are big differences over the role that individual countries will play and how much they will pay.
To pave the way for his trip, Bush sent Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) to Europe to mend fences, and her recent visit was well received. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was uncharacteristically humble as he helped set the stage. Visiting Munich last weekend, Rumsfeld belittled his own description of "Old Europe" opponents of the Iraq war.
"Oh, that was the old Rumsfeld," the secretary said.
Despite the upbeat talk, Bush and the Europeans are expected to clash over a European proposal to lift a 15-year-old arms embargo on China. Europeans also are disappointed that Bush has not offered more support for their negotiations to get Iran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons program.
When Bush meets with European leaders over dinner Tuesday night, the allies need to get a sense that the president is "buying in" to their Iran strategy, even if he is unwilling to talk about it publicly, Bruton said. He said Iran would have little incentive to reach a deal unless it knew the United States would support it.
European leaders will be looking for Bush to speak about the problems of global warming even though he opposes the Kyoto climate treaty that took effect Wednesday. While the 35 participating industrial nations have committed to reducing carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other compounds to below their levels of 1990, the United States is the single biggest source of so-called greenhouse gases.
The fact that Bush is willing to engage on the subject during his trip "will be seen as a sign Europe has been listened to," Bruton said.
He said Syria will be a prominent subject in the talks as a result of Monday's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who had protested Syria's influence in his country.
"That would be a subject that would jump up to very near the top of the agenda," Bruton said. "I suspect something will be said quite strongly."
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WASHINGTON - The fence-mending trips, makeup meetings and friendly photo ops spread over the past two years have failed to repair problems between President Bush (news - web sites) and European leaders.
But the president's visit to Europe next week holds the promise of better relations for the simple pragmatic reason that disgruntled allies know they have to work with him for four more years.
Bush is unpopular in Europe for ordering the invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) and pursuing what is widely seen as a foreign policy that ignores the views of other countries. Many leaders did not hide their hope that Democratic Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) would win the presidency in November.
But Bush's victory, coupled with expanded Republican power in both houses of Congress and successful elections in Iraq, have forced European leaders to adjust their strategies to deal with reality.
"I think there is a recognition this president has got his mandate and speaks for a lot of Americans," said John Bruton, the European Union (news - web sites)'s ambassador to the United States.
European countries are not expecting any major changes in U.S. policy as a result of Bush's visit, Bruton said. But he said they hope Bush will listen to them with an open mind "with a view to possibly a change in position if their arguments are good enough."
"What they are hoping for is an increase in the level of trust," Bruton said. "I think we're going through a phase of intense rapprochement" and that leaders on both sides of the Atlantic were trying to "put right what went wrong."
Bush's trip, the first overseas visit of his second term, is being viewed on both sides of the Atlantic as a U.S. charm offensive. Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, said Europe and America were entering a new phase of cooperation.
"We are overcoming a period ... linked to Iraq that has had some tension between the Europeans and Americans," Solana said . "This is over. What we have to do is look to the future."
Bush will fly to Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday for a three-night stay. He will hold a dinner with French President Jacques Chirac, the most vocal critic of U.S. policy in Iraq. Bush also will meet with NATO (news - web sites) leaders and visit the headquarters of the European Union, the political organization representing 25 countries with a population of 450 million people. The visit to the EU headquarters is seen as an important sign that he takes the European Union seriously.
Bush also will stop in Germany for talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, another prominent critic of the United States in Iraq, and will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) in Slovakia. The Slovakia meeting will be closely watched for any sign that Bush scolds the Russian leader for retreating from democracy.
Bush has made clear that he is looking for a fresh start with European allies after heated differences over Iraq. Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic say they are committed to the reconstruction of Iraq. But there are big differences over the role that individual countries will play and how much they will pay.
To pave the way for his trip, Bush sent Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) to Europe to mend fences, and her recent visit was well received. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was uncharacteristically humble as he helped set the stage. Visiting Munich last weekend, Rumsfeld belittled his own description of "Old Europe" opponents of the Iraq war.
"Oh, that was the old Rumsfeld," the secretary said.
Despite the upbeat talk, Bush and the Europeans are expected to clash over a European proposal to lift a 15-year-old arms embargo on China. Europeans also are disappointed that Bush has not offered more support for their negotiations to get Iran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons program.
When Bush meets with European leaders over dinner Tuesday night, the allies need to get a sense that the president is "buying in" to their Iran strategy, even if he is unwilling to talk about it publicly, Bruton said. He said Iran would have little incentive to reach a deal unless it knew the United States would support it.
European leaders will be looking for Bush to speak about the problems of global warming even though he opposes the Kyoto climate treaty that took effect Wednesday. While the 35 participating industrial nations have committed to reducing carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other compounds to below their levels of 1990, the United States is the single biggest source of so-called greenhouse gases.
The fact that Bush is willing to engage on the subject during his trip "will be seen as a sign Europe has been listened to," Bruton said.
He said Syria will be a prominent subject in the talks as a result of Monday's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who had protested Syria's influence in his country.
"That would be a subject that would jump up to very near the top of the agenda," Bruton said. "I suspect something will be said quite strongly."
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