Trump decision on joint G7 statement “sobering and a bit depressing” - Merkel

Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his support for the joint communiqué at the G7 summit in Canada is “sobering and a bit depressing”, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Anne Will in a television interview for German public broadcaster ARD. Merkel said that using the term ‘sobering’ is “already a lot for me”. According to the chancellor, the communiqué is “decided and legally valid”.

In a separate press statement, the NGO Germanwatch welcomed that the “fundamental differences” on climate policy between the US and the other governments had not been “glossed over by formulaic compromise”. “While the US president increasingly makes clear that he wants to organise the last defensive battle for fossil energies worldwide, the other G6 countered fairly determinedly,” said policy director Christoph Bals.

Watch the interview in German here and find the press release in German here.

For background, read the CLEW news piece Germany seeks joint communiqué at G7, also on climate - official and Merkel calls for honouring Paris Agreement as climate action at home falters as well as the factsheet The story of "Climate Chancellor" Angela Merkel.