Trump says Germany owes Nato ‘vast sums’

DONALD TRUMP has claimed Germany owes “vast sums of money” to Nato and the US “must be paid more” for providing defence.

In a tweet from his Florida resort, where he is spending the weekend, the US President wrote he had a “great” meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week, despite reports to the contrary.

But he reiterated his stance that Germany needs to meet its end of the bargain if it is to continue benefiting from the military alliance.

Mr Trump wrote: “Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Nevertheless, Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!”

Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2017

…vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2017

During their joint news conference in the White House on Friday, the two leaders appeared to have an awkward meeting, with Mr Trump seemingly refusing to shake the German Chancellor’s hand in front of the media in the Oval Office.

On their agenda was Nato funding, trade agreements and the international situations in Ukraine and Syria.

During the press conference, Mr Trump dubbed Nato “obsolete” and demanded America’s allies pay back the “vast sums of money from past years”.

Mrs Merkel said Germany had committed to increasing its military spending to the previously agreed level of 2% of GDP for Nato’s European members.

Only five out of the alliance’s 28 countries currently meet their targets for payment – the US, the UK, Estonia, Poland and Greece.

President Trump and Mrs Merkel have clashed in the past.

In January, Mr Trump said the German Chancellor had made “a catastrophic mistake” by allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants into Germany.

Meanwhile Mrs Merkel criticised President Trump’s controversial travel ban that targets the citizens of several mainly Muslim countries.

Immigration was clearly one of the issues on which the leaders had, Mrs Merkel described it as, “an exchange of views”, adding: “Refugees have to be given the opportunity to shape their own lives.”

Trump also made an awkward jibe at the press conference, suggesting the pair had both been wire-tapped by the Obama administration.

In the strained session with the world’s press, Mr Trump said the two “have something in common perhaps” after being quizzed over claims that GCHQ had spied on him.

The quip appeared to be another dig at the Obama administration, which was previously accused of wire-tapping the phone of the German Chancellor.

GCHQ rejected the allegations against it as “nonsense”.

Downing Street said it has been assured the US will not repeat the claims.