One of the most read stories currently published by Deutsche Welle on dw.com is German Chancellor Merkel’s somber statement that Europe can no longer rely on the US and the UK. The German chancellor’s comments came after contentious meetings with US President Donald Trump at NATO and G7 summit meetings. Trump clashed with America’s allies over global warming, mutual defense and trade.
Even though Britain agreed with its European allies on the need to combat climate change, its decision to leave the European Union means it, too, will be going its own way on a range of issues.
US President Donald Trump, who campaigned as a global-warming denier – calling it a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese – refused to go along with his six counterparts in reaffirming their support for the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the rise in global temperatures.
“For that reason,” Merkel continued, “I can only say: We Europeans really have to take our fates in our own hands.”
“Of course, that must be done in a spirit of friendship with the United States and Britain,” she said, “but we have to wage our own fight for our future, as Europeans, for our fate.”