German FM says Europe must stand up to US for own interests
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Germany's foreign minister says Europe needs to act more decisively to defend its values and interests, if necessary by standing up to the United States.
Sigmar Gabriel told a foreign policy conference in Berlin on Tuesday that "the global dominance of the United States is slowly becoming history" and it would be dangerous to allow a U.S. withdrawal to leave a vacuum on the world stage.
Gabriel says the U.S. will remain Europe's closest ally, but that differences with Washington need to be addressed and red lines drawn.
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Gabriel cited specifically U.S. sanctions against Russia that he said threatened European energy companies; the heightened risk of war if the Iran nuclear deal collapses; and the danger of inflaming the Middle East conflict if the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital.