German Chancellor Angela Merkel was highly critical of US President Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations. In the speech, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea.

"I am against threats of this kind. And speaking for myself and the government I must say that we consider any type of military solution absolutely inappropriate and we are counting on diplomatic efforts," Merkel said in an interview with DW. "This must be vigorously implemented. In my opinion, sanctions and enforcing these sanctions are the right answer. But anything else with regard to North Korea I think is wrong. And that is why we clearly disagree with the US president."

"Even if this conflict is far away from Germany, it is one that also affects us," Merkel said. "That is why I am prepared, as is the foreign minister, to assume responsibility here," she said. "We took part in negotiating the Iran agreement, which I think is good, and better than having no agreement at all. It took many years, but in the end it did limit Iran's possibilities for nuclear armament. And I think we must take the same path or a similar one, with Russia, with China, together with the US, also in the case of North Korea."