President Donald Trump reignites attack on Merkel after Melania tries to smooth over tensions at NATO summit
Trump tore into the German Chancellor after a day of contentious meetings in a Twitter tirade following a NATO cocktail party
DONALD Trump has reignited his attack on Angela Merkel - after First Lady Melania attempted to smooth over tensions at a NATO summit party.
The US President, who is due to arrive in the UK for his first visit as leader today, tore into the German Chancellor after a day of contentious meetings.
The pair spectacularly fell out yesterday after he accused Germany of being “totally controlled by Russia” over a natural gas pipeline venture with Moscow.
But in a scathing Twitter tirade last night, he continued his attack saying: "What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy?
"Why are there only 5 out of 29 countries that have met their commitment?
"The U.S. is paying for Europe’s protection, then loses billions on Trade. Must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025."
He later tweeted: "Billions of additional dollars are being spent by NATO countries since my visit last year, at my request, but it isn’t nearly enough.
"US spends too much. Europe’s borders are BAD! Pipeline dollars to Russia are not acceptable!"
Earlier in the evening he had attended a glitzy cocktail party with his wife Melania who was seen kissing Mrs Merkel on the cheek.
The president schmoozed with other counterparts and even spoke with his ally, despite roasting her at breakfast.
What we know so far:
- Donald Trump is demanding "free-riding" Nato members increase their payments towards the defence alliance
- He has had a spectacular fall-out with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and reignited his fury in a scathing Twitter tirade on Wednesday
- The US President arrived in Brussels for the two-day Nato summit on Monday before he jets to Britain for his first state visit today
- Following his trip to the UK he will travel to Helsinki, Finland, for his first "one-on-one" with Russia's Vladimir Putin
- Allies fear he may offer concessions to Putin - such as Crimea or the loosening of sanctions - if his Nato demands are not met
- He launched a blistering attack on Germany for spending millions on Russian oil and gas and very little on defence
- Angela Merkel responded by referencing her youth in Soviet-controlled East Germany and denied Russia could control Berlin
- Trump tweeted about his determination to get trade tariffs slashed for US farmers' produce, in particular, soy beans
- Yesterday he demanded all countries should start paying four percent of their GDP on defence, an increase on the current 2 percent obligation
He earlier rattled members further by privately suggesting member nations should spend 4 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence.
That's a bigger share than even the United States currently pays, according to NATO statistics.
It was the most recent in a series of demands and insults that critics fear will undermine a decades-old alliance launched to counterbalance Soviet aggression.
Berlin spends just 1.2 percent of its annual GDP on its military, compared to the US’s 3.8 percent, infuriating the American leader.
Trump branded the new Nord Stream gas pipeline between Berlin and Moscow as “a very bad thing for NATO” because it threatened energy security.
During talks before the summit opened with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said: "Ultimately Germany will have almost 70% of their country controlled by Russia with natural gas, so you tell me - is that appropriate?
“Germany is totally controlled by Russia because they will be getting from 60 to 70% of their energy from Russia.”
Trump has spent weeks berating members of the alliance for failing to spend enough of their money on defence.
He's also accused Europe of freeloading off the US and raised doubts about whether he would come to members' defence if they were ever attacked.
He described the current situation as "disproportionate and not fair to the taxpayers of the United States."
However, a formal summit declaration issued by the NATO leaders on Wednesday reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment" to the two percent pledge set in 2014 and made no reference to any effort to get to four percent.
As the stormy meeting swiftly descended into farce, Mrs Merkel hit back to say Trump didn’t know what he was talking about and should butt out.
The Chancellor, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, said: “I've experienced myself a part of Germany controlled by the Soviet Union and I'm very happy today that we are united in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany and can thus say that we can make our own decisions".
French President Emmanuel Macron backed Mrs Merkel by also denouncing Trump’s claim as others questioned his figures.
Amid the tumult, Theresa May sounded a call for solidarity among the allies, saying: "As we engage Russia we must do so from a position of unity and strength.
"Holding out hope for a better future, but also clear and unwavering on where Russia needs to change its behaviour for this to become a reality.
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"And, as long as Russia persists in its efforts to undermine our interests and values, we must continue to deter and counter them."
The PM came under pressure herself alongside the 27 other leaders from Mr Trump’s new demand for every NATO member to spend 4 percent of its GDP on defence.
The alliance’s current target is to spend 2 percent of their GDP on their militaries.
Just four do now, including the UK at 2.14 percent, with four more pledging to hit the target this year.
The move would mean the UK hiking the MoD’s current budget of almost £40billion to at least £75bn.
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