LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain on Wednesday criticized the reaction of President Trump to the violence in Charlottesville, Va., after initially declining to condemn the American leader’s stance.

Earlier this week, Mrs. May had said that Mr. Trump’s remarks were “a matter for him,” but she went further during a visit to the southern English city of Portsmouth, saying there was “no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them.”

“It is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-right views wherever we hear them,” she added.

In a statement on Wednesday, the justice minister in Germany, Heiko Maas, condemned Mr. Trump’s reaction to the events in Virginia.