BERLIN (AP) — A leading German politician has branded U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on the events surrounding a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia as "highly dangerous."

Martin Schulz, who is Chancellor Angela Merkel's main challenger in next month's election, said Germany has to "do everything to avoid things here going the way they are in America."

Schulz was asked in an interview with German media group RND about Trump's comments that "there's blame on both sides" for the weekend violence in Charlottesville.

In extracts of the interview published Wednesday, Schulz was quoted as saying that "the downplaying of Nazi violence in Trump's incoherent comments is highly dangerous."

Schulz, who leads Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party, said it was important to "stand decisively against those who sow hatred. Always. And everywhere."