German-US ties must 'adjust to the realities of our time'

As Germany's Ambassador to the United States, Emily Haber, prepares to retire from her long career in the German foreign service, she spoke with DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl.

Haber has served as Germany's ambassador in Washington since 2018, overseeing a range of challenges during her time in the US capital, including Donald Trump's presidency, the coronavirus pandemic, and now Russia's war in Ukraine.

In her conversation with DW, Haber mentioned the wide range of topics, from the future of German-American relations to the Russian war in Ukraine and what she will miss most about the US.

Reframing trans-Atlantic relationship

For many decades, Haber said, Germans and Americans had the arsenal of shared memories: from the Luftbrücke, that is the Berlin Airlift, to John F. Kennedy's Berlin speech, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, to Martin Luther King in Berlin.

"You see, all of these big events that I'm mentioning now are dated now," said the ambasador. "What we will have to get used to is that we'll have to reframe the trans-Atlantic relationship and it will have to adjust to the realities of our time."

According to Haber, it is Russia's aggression against Ukraine — "and our capacity for resolve and determination and perseverance in responding to that aggression" — that will turn out to be an engine that will define the trans-Atlantic relationship in the future.

The biggest challenge: Russia's war in Ukraine

Therefore, dealing with Russia's war against Ukraine will remain the biggest challenge in the upcoming months and years, Haber said.

"The outcome of that war will largely define and shape the international geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape," she added.

The diplomat warned that many countries across the world will be closely watching whether Germany, the US and their allies are capable of sustaining the level of support they have provided for Ukraine.

"That's hugely important. It will define our credibility and it will define the legitimacy of our cause, which is the defense of international law and the defense of foundational principles of the UN Charter," Haber said.

The country of genuine kindness and openness

Recalling meetings with former US President Donald Trump, Haber said he was "someone who dominates a room."

She also said that there has been a strong focus on personalities in relations with the US for at least the past five years. "But the trans-Atlantic relationship really goes far beyond that," Haber said.

In her personal relationship with the US, the ambassador stressed that she had always deeply respected "the genuine kindness, openness and welcoming attitude of Americans across the country."

"I think the individual responsibility for making the world a better place, or for simply making a difference, if you will, that is something that I've always admired here and that I will miss," Haber said.

The interview was conducted by DW's Ines Pohl.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru