US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a whistle-stop tour of Europe. He arrived in Berlin on Friday, is in Switzerland now and will join US President Donald Trump in the UK, routing himself via the Netherlands. Germany was tense. Pompeo’s visit was preceded by Chancellor Angela Markel’s commencement speech at Harvard University, where she was praised for her commitment to free trade and for having admitted one million refugees to Germany in 2015/2016. While she never mentioned Trump by name, she still attacked many of his policies. The second issue was a perceived slight by Pompeo in early May. He had canceled a scheduled visit with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at short notice in order to go to Iraq. It is unusual for a US secretary of state to wait more than a year to pay an inaugural visit to Berlin – arguably America’s most important ally in continental Europe. Ever since Trump came to power, US-German relations have been on the skids. Pompeo, Merkel and Maas tried hard to demonstrate commonalities. They could, however, not gloss over substantially different viewpoints on many issues. There is Germany’s financial contribution to NATO. German defense expenditure is below 2 percent, which is mandated for NATO members. Germany did not fulfill promises to substantially augment the defense budget. There is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will bring Russian gas to Germany circumventing the Ukraine. The US considers it a security risk. The Germans consider the pipeline important in terms of energy security, and gas is considered a reliable, low-carbon-emitting fuel. Pompeo did not enlighten the Germans as to whether the US administration is considering sanctions against companies participating in Nord Stream 2. There was no meeting of minds on Huawei either. Many European governments do not share the Trump administration’s concerns over the company’s ties to the Chinese government. Huawei technology is an integral part of rolling out 5-G networks in Germany, the UK and Switzerland.Lastly and very importantly, Pompeo discussed Iran. Germany is one of the three European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to ensure Iran will not build nuclear weapons. Germany, the UK and France bemoaned the fact that the US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement last year. Pompeo and Mass declared that they both agreed Iran should not have nuclear weapons and that Iran’s influence in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon is disconcerting. Yet Germany has so far not declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization, despite repeated prodding by the US. Maas did also not give Pompeo any guarantees that the German typhoon aircraft, which are part of Germany’s commitment in Syria, would remain in Jordan when their term expires this autumn. The two countries are ideologically miles apart on many issues, none more so than trade wars. German prosperity is built on the country’s industrial prowess and ability to trade its products freely on the world markets. China is a very important trading partner of Germany. When it comes to the automotive sector, German car manufacturers’ supply chains and assembly lines in North America were configured when NAFTA was in force. Therefore, the latest spat between Mexico and the US is less than helpful. Switzerland will be a lot easier for Pompeo. He is attending the secretive Bildeberg meeting, which assembles 100 policy-makers to discuss issues of global concerns. We will likely never hear what was discussed. Topics are said to include trade, security and the weaponization of social media. Pompeo is scheduled to attend, alongside presidential adviser Jared Kushner. Pompeo’s meeting with Switzerland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis meeting will likely focus on Iran, because Switzerland represents US interests in the Islamic Republic. Switzerland is neutral and not a signatory to the JCPOA. Its foreign policy has always been geared to mediate in conflict situations. But when it comes to Huawei, the Swiss, who are economically minded, independent and neutral, will not yield to Pompeo. Swiscom’s landline system is built on Huawei technology and the Chinese company is a client of most of the independent operators, particularly when it comes to rolling out 5-G networks. Pompeo’s trip has shown one thing: While the US has been Europe’s traditional ally, fault lines are starting to show. Europeans thrive on multilateral approaches, be it on trade, security or foreign policy. The current US administration believes in bilateral relationships and the full deployment of America’s might. Europe may need America more at this point, but in the long run the US will fare better with more rather than fewer friends, especially when they are long-standing allies. The world will certainly be a safer place if the US and its traditional allies share their viewpoints and act in unison.