BERLIN - It would have been easy for President Donald Trump to stop by Germany, one of the closest allies of the United States, either while he was on his way to the Group of Seven meeting in French Biarritz on Saturday (Aug 24) or when going to Poland subsequently for a ceremony commemorating 80 years since the beginning of World War II. But the US president decided to bypass Germany.

Not that the Germans are very eager to host Mr Trump. In a comprehensive survey last year conducted by the US Pew Research Centre and Germany's Korber Foundation, fewer than half of German respondents were in favour of more cooperation with the US. And nearly three-quarters wanted their country to be more independent of the US. For a people that for decades looked up to the US, this is a staggering turnaround. Politicians should be alarmed - and do something to stop the sharp deterioration in the relationship.