German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier has issued unusually strong criticism of U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, warning that the international rules-based order risks disintegrating into a “den of robbers” where powerful nations take what they want, Reuters reports. Speaking at a symposium late Wednesday, Steinmeier said the erosion of global norms and democratic principles represents a serious threat to world stability amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Steinmeier’s remarks, which appeared to reference recent U.S. actions such as the ousting of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, mark a rare break from the largely ceremonial nature of his office. The former German foreign minister said that the United States, historically a cornerstone of the post-World War II international system, now risks undermining the very order it helped build. “It is about preventing the world from turning into a den of robbers, where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want,” he said, warning that unchecked power could subject regions and entire countries to domination by great powers.
The German president framed his comments within broader global developments, noting that Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine had already shaken the international system. He said recent U.S. conduct amounts to a second significant rupture in global norms, potentially at least as consequential as the conflict in Eastern Europe. Although his role is largely ceremonial, Steinmeier’s words carry moral and political weight in Europe, where concerns about U.S. unilateralism have grown amid shifting alliances and strategic competition.
Steinmeier also called for active engagement by other influential nations, including Brazil and India, to help uphold the global order and prevent a descent into lawlessness. His speech underscores deep unease in parts of the European political establishment over the direction of American foreign policy, highlighting the importance of cooperation and adherence to international law.
