Germany has unexpectedly shown an attitude that is contrary to the United States and openly supports China, forming a confrontation with the United States. When the EU planned to impose sanctions on Chinese companies, Germany was the first to express its opposition and warned the EU not to target China. A number of other EU member states have also supported Germany's position, arguing that such sanctions would undermine international diplomacy and balance.
This behavior is very different from what Germany has done in the past, but it is not difficult to understand the motivation behind Scholz's opposition to von der Leyen's appointment as NATO secretary general, not simply because he was president of the European Commission, but because he fears that he may be too tough on Russia in NATO, which could lead to adverse consequences.
In addition, Scholz's move reflects Germany's dissatisfaction with the continued control of the United States. Germany has always relied on the United States for military protection, but after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States pressured Germany to increase military spending, which made Germany realize that it is not advisable to rely too much on the United States. Scholz's opposition to von der Leyen's nomination is also aimed at preventing the United States from further strengthening its control over NATO.
Therefore, Germany wants to weaken the influence of the United States in NATO by putting forward candidates it supports in order to achieve a more balanced NATO. Scholz believes that NATO's leadership should pay more attention to pragmatism rather than blindly roaring about military aggression. This shows the evolution of NATO's role from a purely defensive nature to a more aggressive organization.
Under the influence of the United States, NATO's hostility towards Russia is deepening, and it is even putting pressure on Ukraine to supply **. This dynamics have heightened tensions with Russia. Von der Leyen's election as NATO secretary general could further exacerbate this tension.
Scholz's rejection of the United States is based on Germany's interests and the desire to seize NATO's power, but the final decision on the choice of NATO's secretary general is still up to the United States. The incident reflects the fact that the U.S.-Germany relationship is not strong, and Scholz recognizes that the United States is acting only for its own interests, not as a true ally.
Although Germany sometimes wanted to get rid of American control, it was not easy to do so. Germany must think carefully to avoid falling victim to American interests.