BBC News Online: World: Europe

Germany warns US against unilateralism

Fischer (right) has strong words on the "axis of evil"

"The international coalition against terror does not provide a basis for doing just anything against anybody - and certainly not by going it alone. This is the view of every European foreign minister."

His comments come a day after Russian President Vladimir warned the US against launching an attack on Iraq, one of the country's labelled by President Bush as forming an "axis of evil".

Mr Fischer said that a peaceful future could not be guaranteed by the world's greatest power acting alone.

"I utterly reject anti-Americanism. But, for all the differences in size and weight, alliance partnerships between free democracies cannot be reduced to obedience," he said.

"Alliance partners are not satellites."

The coalition against terror began with solid support from across Europe, from the EU to Russia.

For weeks no-one broke ranks, but as talk grew of widening the war beyond Afghanistan, concerns started to emerge.

Criticism of US policy has come from several key figures:

• President Putin said any use of force by the US against Iraq "should be justified" and have the backing of the international community
• French Foreign Affairs Minister Hubert Vedrine accused Washington of a "simplistic" approach to foreign affairs
• French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin called on the US not to resort to unilateralism or become fixated with the war against terrorism
• EU external affairs commissioner Chris Patten said European governments should speak up before the US went into "unilateralist overdrive"
• Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called Mr Bush's "axis of evil" comments "a big mistake".

And he said "frank" discussions were needed with the US on the future of global security.

"If large-scale rearmament is now signalled, this will not lead to a reduction in potential acts of desperation throughout the world," he told the paper.

"What we need is a new concept of security, particularly an equitable shaping of globalisation.

"A dollar or euro can only be spent once. The money will be missed elsewhere in the world, and this will increase the potential for acts of desperation, and hence the threats to security," he said.