03. March 2026

Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge at phoenix vor Ort ahead of Merz's visit to the White House Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge at phoenix on site ahead of Merz's visit to the White House

Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge was a guest on phoenix on March 3 to discuss German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to the White House and comment on his foreign policy. He said that the German chancellor had acted skillfully in the run-up to the visit, avoiding unnecessary confrontations with US President Donald Trump.

Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge on phoenix vor Ort
Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge on phoenix vor Ort © phoenix
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The US military intervention in Iran does not represent a new form of American imperialism, according to Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge. Although the American action contradicts Trump's original announcement that he would stay out of conflicts and focus on solving domestic problems—which is also likely to dampen his ambitions for a Nobel Peace Prize—it is consistent with US foreign policy in recent decades.

Although the aim is to implement “America First” particularly in the areas of economics and migration, a complete withdrawal from world politics is hardly conceivable.

Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge also assesses the German chancellor's tactics in dealing with US President Trump positively. He is aware that advice and finger-wagging fall on deaf ears in Washington, and therefore refrains from making provocative statements in advance. By taking this cautious approach, the chancellor ensures that serious discussions can take place during the visit without causing avoidable conflicts in advance.

At the same time, the chancellor has recognized that international law can only be defended from a position of strength. Government circles have realized that Europe and Germany must learn the “language of power” in order to remain involved in crucial discussions and to be able to uphold international law credibly.

You can watch the entire interview with Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorge here.

Dr. habil. Hendrik Ohnesorgeis Managing Director at the Center for Global Studies.

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