Juncker cautions Trump against withdrawing from Paris agreement

Juncker cautions Trump against withdrawing from Paris agreement
Jean-Claude Juncker has issued some sobering warnings to President Trump about withdrawal from the Paris climate change deal.

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, warned the American President, Donald Trump, yesterday (Wednesday) against a potential US withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement. During a debate in Berlin on the future of Europe, he said, “I am a trans-Atlanticist. However if in the coming hours or days the American President says that he wants to withdraw from the Paris agreement, it is Europe’s duty to tell him: ‘It doesn’t work like that.’”.

Donald Trump must announce his decision upon this vital agreement, signed by the 147 countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, today (Thursday) at 9 p.m (CET). Speculation is rife as to the possibility of him deciding to withdraw from the agreement. The White House has refused to comment upon this possibility.

Mr Juncker stressed that climate change places 83 countries at risk of ceasing to exist, owing to rising sea levels. He said, “It is not simply an issue of the future of humanity in Europe. It is, above all, about the future of humanity everywhere.”

He also warned Donald Trump that it might not be as easy as he appears to think to pull out of the treaty. He said that it would indeed take three to four consensual opinions in Washington to withdraw from the agreement. He added that the idea that the United States could simply “disappear” from the agreement was incorrect.

Juncker went on, “Everything contained within legislation and everything contained within international agreements does not come under the category of ‘fake news’. We must hold fast to this reasoning.”


The Brussels Times


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