
Audio By Carbonatix
Germany’s president took an indirect swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday in accusing Washington, China and Russia of stoking global mistrust and insecurity with a “great powers” competition” that could threaten a new nuclear arms race.In opening remarks at the annual Munich Security Conference, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier deplored the three big powers’ approach to global affairs and, without naming Trump, took issue with his vow to “make America great again”.“‘Great again’ - even at the expense of neighbors and partners,” quipped Steinmeier, a former Social Democrat foreign minister whose comments on foreign policy carry authority.As foreign minister in 2014, he was central to the so-called “Munich consensus” when German leaders said Berlin was ready to assume more responsibility in global affairs. Steinmeier pressed that point again on Friday, but not before bemoaning the foreign policy approaches of Russia, China and the United States.“Russia...has made military force and the violent shifting of borders on the European continent the means of politics once again,” he said in the text of a speech for delivery at the opening of the conference.“China...accepts international law only selectively where it does not run counter to its own interests,” Steinmeier said.“And our closest ally, the United States of America, under the present administration itself, rejects the idea of an international community.”The upshot is “more mistrust, more armament, less security...all the way to a new nuclear arms race,” he said.In response, he said, Germany should raise defense spending to contribute more to European security and to maintain its alliance with the United States, recognizing that U.S. interests were gravitating away from Europe toward Asia.He also called for a European policy toward Russia “that is not limited to condemning statements and sanctions alone”.Europe, he added, “must find its own balance with China between intensifying competition between systems and the need for cooperation.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
GMTF, Tamale Teaching Hospital tighten partnership to accelerate lifesaving care
5 minutes -
QNET calls for intensified action against organised fraud and trafficking in West Africa
6 minutes -
Ghana not returning to bond market yet despite early debt settlements — Theo Acheampong
11 minutes -
Architectural choices contributing to Accra’s flood crisis – Expert warns
15 minutes -
QNET touts EOCO partnership as key tool in fight against trafficking and online fraud
19 minutes -
QNET renews commitment to EOCO partnership in combating human trafficking and Model Q criminal networks
27 minutes -
Normalising flood risk is worsening Accra’s vulnerability – JoyNews Jacqueline Ansomah Yeboah
29 minutes -
Governing The Rain: Flood risk, institutional failure, and the politics of urban infrastructure in Accra
30 minutes -
KGL Foundation brings free health screening to Bolgatanga, promotes early disease detection
33 minutes -
‘I didn’t think it was a foul’: Trump says he asked FIFA president for review of controversial red card
45 minutes -
Trump confirms he asked Fifa to review Balogun ban
47 minutes -
WAFCON 2026: Morocco aim to break final barrier after two final appearances
53 minutes -
WAFCON 2026: Algeria ready to challenge Africa’s elite
57 minutes -
Ghana’s accommodation mix is shifting and Airbnb-style stays are quietly winning ground
58 minutes -
UTAG backs down on nationwide strike after government assurances
1 hour