European press review

European papers debate the chilled relations between Germany and the United States.

Proposals to give euro zone countries more time to balance their budgets are welcomed by some EU members.

And Ukrainian papers discuss allegations of arms supplies to Iraq.

"Let's be friends again"

Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung mocks what it views as Berlin's efforts to mend fences with the United States.

As the paper sees it, Berlin is now so eager to please Washington that "there is nothing it would rather do" than take over the command of the international security force in Afghanistan.

German-US relations cooled after Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder ruled out participation in any Iraq war.

The paper feels the German Government acted "unprofessionally", and put "a dangerous strain on relations with America, instead of agreeing to a sober debate on Iraq".

And it did so, the paper adds, "because it was motivated by nothing but party political interests".

But the Frankfurter Rundschau wonders whether the gulf between Germany and the United States is really as wide as is being portrayed.

It is narrower, the paper argues, than that between President Bush and his election opponent Al Gore, who has used "strong words" to criticise the Bush administration's idea that "there is no law but the discretion of the president of the United States".

Blair's "bridging" role

The French Le Monde is slightly miffed that Chancellor Schroeder broke "a well-established tradition" in which newly-elected German chancellors make their first post-election visit to France."

[Chancellor Schroeder's visit to London] is a dream opportunity for a Tony Blair who loves to play the go-between

Le Monde - France

Instead, Gerhard Schroeder "has chosen to rush to London... and have himself photographed shaking hands with Tony Blair outside 10 Downing Street... a mere 48 hours after winning the elections by the skin of his teeth," it reports.

The paper however concedes that Mr Schroeder had "an excellent reason" to break with tradition, as "he wanted to ask his host to help him mend the pots broken in the row between Berlin and Washington".

"This is a dream opportunity for a Tony Blair who loves to play the go-between," Le Monde concludes.

This view is echoed in the Paris-based International Herald Tribune which says Tony Blair has "secured his long-sought role for Britain as the bridge between Europe and the United States".

By the same token, this would appear to "validate his view that he could at once be a good Atlanticist and a trusted European," the paper adds.

It however warns of "suspicions in Europe over Mr Blair's closeness to the USA, and the realisation in London that his influence with an independent-minded administration in Washington is limited".

Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta says Tony Blair will probably try to put in a good word for Germany since he enjoys "special favour across the Atlantic and acts as a kind of link between America and Europe".

But it cautions that "a resumption of dialogue will depend not so much on Blair's efforts as on the position of the German leadership".

Balancing Europe's books

Europe's papers also discuss the European Commission's proposal to give euro zone countries more time to balance their budgets.

Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung agrees that Europe needs the Stability and Growth Pact, otherwise many governments in the euro zone might be tempted to increase spending levels to gain votes.

But it adds that the rules governing state expenditure should be sensitive to the economic situation.

Vienna's Der Standard also welcomes the proposal and describes it as "a recognition of reality" and "a clever move to save the Stability Pact".

But the Spanish ABC reports that the proposal "has been badly received" in countries like Spain "which had got their financial houses in order and in time as required by the Stability Pact".

It is "a lungful of oxygen" for France, Germany, Italy and Portugal, all of whom were having trouble observing Brussels's rules, the paper says.

"Spain," on the other hand, "is a text-book case of how a government can start off with the public accounts in a poor state and achieve the goal of a balanced budget without social ill-effects," according to ABC.

A violation of the international arms embargo on Iraq draws severe sanctions, and our country has so far shown little taste for living without foreign aid

Ukrayina Moloda - Ukraine

Ukraine's Iraq deals

In Ukraine, the press discusses US suspicions that Kiev has sold early warning radar systems to Iraq.

Washington claims it has authenticated wiretapped records in which President Leonid Kuchma is heard giving the go-ahead to the deal with Saddam Hussein.

The national daily Ukrayina Moloda says the Ukrainian opposition now has a powerful new ally in the West.

The opposition has been spearheading a campaign of protests across the country accusing the president of corruption and incompetence.

"It appears that the 'Rise, Ukraine' protest campaign has gained an international dimension," the paper observes.

"A violation of the international arms embargo on Iraq draws severe sanctions, and our country has so far shown little taste for living without foreign aid," Ukrayina Moloda adds.

The pro-government daily Den says the bust-up between Kiev and Washington stems from the long-standing allegations of the president's involvement in the murder of pro-opposition journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

These allegations, the paper explains, were based on the same collection of wiretapped records.

"No lessons were drawn from that incident, and now the scandal has entered a new stage," Den says.

The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions.