Germans fear Donald Trump more than Vladimir Putin, poll finds

When asked which world leader was the greater threat to world security, 64 percent of respondents chose US President Donald Trump over his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. That's according to a YouGov poll published on the eve of Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

And the German antipathy toward Trump doesn't end there: 56 percent of respondents thought that Putin was more competent than Trump, with only 5 percent preferring the latter on that score. Thirty-six percent of Germans find Putin more likable than Trump, while 6 percent say the opposite -- although most respondents refused to indicate a preference on that question.

Maas: Remember who your friends are

In an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had a warning for the US president.

"Dialogue requires clarity, and President Trump's system of coordinates lacks clarity," Maas said. "Anyone who snubs his partners risks being the big loser in the end. One-sided deals to the detriment of America's own partners ultimately hurt the US, too."

But Maas also said the bilateral summit could make the world more peaceful.

○ Germans want Donald Trump to pull US troops out of Germany | The Independent |

'Sapere aude'