‘Den of robbers’: German President warns US is destroying world order
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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged countries not to let the world order disintegrate into a “den of robbers” where the unscrupulous take what they want.
PHOTO: AFP
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- German President Steinmeier criticised US foreign policy under Trump, citing a "breakdown of values" and comparing the world order to a "den of robbers".
- Steinmeier highlighted Russia's annexation of Crimea and the US behaviour as historic ruptures, threatening global democracy.
- A poll showed 76% of Germans surveyed feel the US is not a reliable partner, while trust in France and Britain remains high.
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BERLIN – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has strongly criticised US foreign policy under President Donald Trump and urged the world not to let the world order disintegrate into a “den of robbers” where the unscrupulous take what they want.
In unusually strong remarks, which appeared to refer to actions such as the ousting of Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro
Although the German president’s role is largely ceremonial, his words carry some weight and he has more freedom to express views than politicians.
Describing Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
“Then there is the breakdown of values by our most important partner, the USA, which helped build this world order,” Mr Steinmeier said, in remarks at a symposium late on Jan 7.
“It is about preventing the world from turning into a den of robbers, where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want, where regions or entire countries are treated as the property of a few great powers,” he said.
On Jan 8, a poll for public broadcaster ARD indicated that 76 per cent of Germans surveyed now felt that the US was not a partner Germany could rely on, an increase of 3 percentage points since June 2025. Only 15 per cent felt Germany could now trust the US, the lowest level recorded in the regular survey of attitudes.
By contrast, roughly three-quarters felt they could rely on France and Britain.
The survey found 69 per cent of Germans concerned about security in Europe, about the same number that thought NATO partners could not rely on the protection of the US, the strongest member of the alliance. REUTERS
