Deutsche Welle reported on February 2:

"Brussels is disgruntled by US President Barack Obama's decision not to attend the EU-US summit in May. Washington, however, insists the move is not meant as a snub against Brussels... Obama is increasingly facing challenges implementing his domestic reform agenda and has indicated that in 2010 he will spend more time on home soil. His approval ratings in the US have dropped as the economic recovery has been slow to translate onto the job market...

"US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon on Monday told reporters that it never had been on Obama's agenda to attend the Spanish summit... Obama's absence at the summit would likely be regarded as a blow for Brussels. The new president of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, has yet to formally meet with Obama."

On February 3, Der Spiegel Online reported on German media reactions to President Obama's refusal to attend the summit:

"While it is certainly plausible that Obama's prime motivation is to focus his attention on his difficult domestic agenda, there are some indications of growing frustration in Washington with the EU's confusing structures. State department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Tuesday that the EU leadership was part of the problem, indicating that there was a lack of clarity on both sides as to where and how the annual summits would be held...

"'The very fact that the summit is taking place in Spain, after the establishment of a more permanent presidency and a high representative, is indicative of the fact that the EU is still in institutional limbo,' Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow for European studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the Associated Press...

"While Obama's election was widely welcomed across the Atlantic in 2008 after the often fraught dealings with his predecessor, George W. Bush, relations have not been particularly smooth with the new White House...

"The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: '... It's understandable that the Americans no longer have any desire to get involved in bizarre intra-European affairs.'"

"The conservative Die Welt writes: '... As for Europe, Obama's refusal of the invitation is a pity...'

"The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: '... The Europeans now have their dream president, and he obviously has better things to do than jet across the Atlantic to spend a few hours chatting with them... But, seriously, does Obama have nothing to discuss with the EU that is important to him and that might be worth the flight over? Or does he not even consider the EU as being all that relevant?... perhaps it will now dawn on the Europeans that they are not the center of this president's attention.'"

As we have foretold for many years, the relationship between the USA and Europe will deteriorate. In addition, as was pointed out above, Europe is still not totally united--but the Bible says that it will soon become the most powerful bloc on earth. For more information, read our free booklet, "Europe in Prophecy."