Biden offers a new impetus for US-German relations

Significance

While the election of Joe Biden will facilitate the return of a more trusting and cooperative German-US relationship, Trump’s actions and tone toward Western Europe and Germany in particular damaged the relationship in ways that may not be easily or fully reversed.

Impacts

• US sanctions on participants in Russian infrastructure projects, such as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany, will likely proliferate.
• Biden’s election opens the door for deeper EU-US cooperation on the technologies crucial in meeting lower carbon emissions targets.
• Biden will look to engage with EU partners on Iran by rejoining the nuclear deal, but conservatives’ demands will complicate progress.