“I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them," British Prime Minister Theresa May said. "I think it is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-right views wherever we hear them.” | Ben Stansall/Getty Images World leaders condemn Trump's remarks on neo-Nazis

World leaders condemned President Donald Trump's latest comments on the racially charged tumult in Virginia, lobbing words like "obnoxious" and "highly dangerous" in salvos that suggest Trump's domestic drama could further undermine his global relationships.

European leaders were among the most vociferous critics Wednesday, even as some far-right elements applauded Trump's remarks. While some detractors avoided mentioning Trump by name, others didn’t hold back.


"Trump’s downplayed reaction on Charlottesville is obnoxious," German Justice Minister Heiko Maas tweeted Wednesday. "It was anti-Semitism and racism, there is nothing to make relative."

The criticism threatened to further erode Trump's already shaky global standing. The U.S. president has rattled allies with everything from questioning America's support for NATO to cozying up to Russia's government. Nonetheless, foreign leaders remain cognizant that they have to keep working with Trump, and so they have carefully calibrated their responses.

British Prime Minister Theresa May criticized Trump for suggesting during an appearance before reporters Tuesday that white supremacists and those opposing them were equally culpable for the weekend violence in Charlottesville that left one person dead.

“I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them," May said, according to media reports. "I think it is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-right views wherever we hear them.”

But May did not agree to demands that Britain should withdraw an invitation for Trump to make a state visit.

“Donald Trump has shown he is unable to detach himself from the extreme right and racial supremacists," U.K. opposition leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Vince Cable said. “It would be completely wrong to have this man visit the U.K. on a state visit.”

At the United Nations, Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke out against the "demons" of "irrationality" that undermine democratic values such as tolerance. "Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia are ... poisoning our societies," Guterres told reporters Wednesday. "And it is absolutely essential for us all to stand up against them everywhere and every time."

Trump's comments are especially sensitive in Germany, which still struggles with neo-Nazi elements decades after the U.S. and its allies crushed the German Nazis in World War II.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had earlier expressed disgust with the neo-Nazi and white supremacist demonstrators who gathered in Virginia. There were no immediate reports of Merkel reacting to Trump's Tuesday remarks, in which he claimed there were "many fine people" on both sides of the clashes.

But Martin Schulz, her main challenger in the upcoming German parliamentary elections, went after the U.S. president.

“One needs to counter Nazis with determination," Schulz tweeted. "What Trump does is highly dangerous. Those who play down violence and hatred betray the values of the West!"

In Israel, too, several political figures expressed outrage.

"In Nazism, anti-Semitism and racism there are never two equal sides — only one side is evil. Period," tweeted Tzipi Livni, a former Israeli foreign minister.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a big Trump supporter, had yet to issue a statement about Trump's Tuesday comments. But Netanyahu had earlier condemned the white supremacist groups that marched in Charlottesville, even though critics said he took too long.

Separately, Netanyahu's son drew attention for reportedly downplaying the neo-Nazi violence and criticizing left-wing protesters, whom he claimed hate Israel and are growing in power.

Trump did get support from some high-profile figures.

Nigel Farage, a far-right leader in Britain who was a major force behind the country's decision to leave the European Union, wrote on Twitter that Trump was right to take issue with demands that Confederate memorials must come down.

"We must not rewrite American history to suit the hard left," Farage wrote.

Meanwhile, organs of rival governments used the unfolding drama to point to vulnerabilities in American society.

RT, the Kremlin-backed media organization, carried an opinion column asserting that the events in Charlottesville were "proof that political correctness is wrecking America." RT has in the past been very pro-Trump.

The Global Times, a Chinese media outlet, argued that "the Charlottesville violence is serious as it is not an isolated affair."

"The U.S. is seeing sliding national strength," it said, "and globalization has struck a blow to the interests of middle- and lower-class whites. This is the new source of U.S. anxieties. If society can't work out a solution, these anxieties will be transformed into domestic issues, especially racial conflicts. The issue of race in today's U.S. has its origin in a number of factors and thus may have staying power."

Lorraine Woellert, Paul Dallison and Janosch Delcker contributed to this story.