I'm John Bachelors with my colleague Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

She's in Berlin, Editor-in-Chief's Strategic Europe.

There are voices in America, Judy, advising the Vice President to take an opportunity to introduce

herself to America.

She's only been on the campaign trail a few weeks after the president stepped back and

named her as his successor as a candidate and therefore there's much to learn.

What does Germany want to know about the Vice President

and her plans for not only America, but NATO and our relationship with Europe?

Well, what the Germans want is predictability over the transatlantic relationship. Secondly, they want predictability over NATO continuing to provide a security

a nuclear umbrella for Europe. And thirdly, they really do want leadership from the United States and it's not the kind of

leadership that they want again when Donald Trump was in office they want a leadership

that is creative consult consultative, but also willing to discuss with the Europeans, why the Europeans

themselves must help the Americans reassert their moral and political and ideological economic

authority in parts of the world, which really now is under strain because of the role of China

and Iran and the crisis in the Middle East,

not to mention Russia.

Our national security and trade, I separate them although they flow together.

What does Europe want to know about trade policies? There's a deal of

protectionist talk in both campaigns right now. Does that does that touch Germany?

Of course it does and there's a language of protectionism also in Europe, especially vis-à-vis imports from China, certain imports from China from China,

but protectionism in this day and age of globalization,

despite all the negative consequences of COVID,

...