Trump’s actions have ‘weakened’ the West, says German minister

US President Trump’s actions have “weakened” the West, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Monday, while also charging that Trump’s “short-sighted” policies hurt EU interests.

“Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk,” Gabriel said.

“The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union,” he said, adding that “the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker.”

Gabriel was discussing the G7 climate talks over the weekend, which Chancellor Angela Merkel had called “very unsatisfactory” due to continued uncertainty about whether the United States will uphold the 2015 Paris accord to cut global carbon emissions.

The German Foreign Minister also spoke of “a loss of the United States as an important nation” and said that the unsuccessful G7 talks would have a bigger impact.

“It is unfortunately a sign that the balance of power is changing in the world,” Gabriel said. 

Trump announced in a tweet that he will make a decision soon on whether the United States will abide by the Paris agreement.

“I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!” Trump wrote on Saturday from the G7 summit in Sicily, where he had been pressed by US partners to commit to a framework aimed at stemming global warming.

Article source: https://www.thelocal.de/20170529/trumps-actions-have-weakened-the-west-says-german-minister