German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a member of the nation’s Social Democratic Party, has raised concerns over President-elect Donald Trump’s moves on border integrity.
Scholz, who has been chancellor since 2021, highlighted shaky times ahead in relations with Washington and also suggested the rise of the far right in neighboring Austria at a party congress in Berlin, reports Bloomberg.
Per Scholz, Trump’s current expansionist oratory against Greenland and Canada, as well as the Panama Canal, give him cause for worry.
Scholz emphasized to the audience that the principle of inviolability of borders applies to all nations, stating that no country should be treated as the backyard of another, Bloomberg adds, quoting the German leader.
He further expressed that no small country should fear its larger neighbor, describing this as the core of Western values.
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During a news conference on Tuesday, Trump stated that NATO should increase its defense spending target to 5% of GDP, up from the current 2%, AP News reports.
Germany, which faced criticism from Trump in his first term for not meeting the 2% target, raised its spending after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the report adds.
Scholz responded that NATO has a set procedure for determining the required military capabilities and emphasized the importance of unity in addressing these issues.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Scholz’s conservative challenger, Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union, stated that Trump’s sentiments won’t intimidate him.
Merz emphasized that Germany should focus on strengthening its economic and military power.
Ahead of a federal election next month in Germany, Scholz faces growing pressure to address Trump’s calls for increased defense spending while balancing domestic priorities.
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