German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warns against reducing Germany’s commitment to the United Nations, calling it ‘shortsighted and fatal.’

Speaking at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Steinmeier criticized domestic calls to scale back UN contributions following Germany’s failed bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, labeling it a ‘bitter defeat.’

He emphasized that Germany must continue to support international cooperation and reform within the UN, while also urging the organization to become more efficient and effective amid rising geopolitical tensions.