Germany owes NATO 'vast sums': Trump
The two leaders showed little common ground over a host of issues, including NATO and defence spending
US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2017. PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON:
US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused Germany of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO, and said Berlin should pay Washington more for defence, a day after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The two leaders showed little common ground Friday over a host of thorny issues, including NATO and defence spending.
On Saturday, Trump tweeted: "Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defence it provides to Germany!"
During their joint news conference Friday, Trump -- who has criticised NATO as "obsolete" -- demanded that America's allies in the military alliance pay back "vast sums of money from past years."
Merkel said Germany had committed to increasing its military spending to the previously agreed level of two percent of GDP for NATO's European members.
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Trump set the tone for his relations with Merkel during his campaign last year, saying her decision to allow refugees into Germany was a "catastrophic mistake" and suggested she was "ruining Germany."
He also lashed out at the news media on Saturday. "Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS," he tweeted, "I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel."
US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused Germany of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO, and said Berlin should pay Washington more for defence, a day after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The two leaders showed little common ground Friday over a host of thorny issues, including NATO and defence spending.
On Saturday, Trump tweeted: "Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defence it provides to Germany!"
During their joint news conference Friday, Trump -- who has criticised NATO as "obsolete" -- demanded that America's allies in the military alliance pay back "vast sums of money from past years."
Merkel said Germany had committed to increasing its military spending to the previously agreed level of two percent of GDP for NATO's European members.
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Trump set the tone for his relations with Merkel during his campaign last year, saying her decision to allow refugees into Germany was a "catastrophic mistake" and suggested she was "ruining Germany."
He also lashed out at the news media on Saturday. "Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS," he tweeted, "I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel."