Trump slams "captive" Germany at the top of NATO



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US President Donald Trump launched a bitter attack on Germany at the start of a NATO summit on Wednesday, accusing Berlin of being "captive" to Russia and demanding from him and other allies to immediately increase their defense spending. The meeting in Brussels was already becoming the most difficult of the alliance for years, with Europe and the United States engaging in cruel bargaining and Trump demanding that the allies of the United NATO "repay" Washington to pay off the continent. Trump's critics on defense spending caught the attention of allliance members, but his furious tirade on what should have been a friendly breakfast seemed to surprise even the NATO leader. , Jens Stoltenberg

. "Trump said, particularly targeting the Nord Stream II pipeline project." 19659002 "Everyone talks about it all over the world, they say we pay yo Billions of dollars to protect you, but you pay billions of dollars to Russia."

Trump has long complained that European members of NATO do not pay enough for their own defense, accusing them of

 BENOIT DOPPAGNE (BELGA / AFP / Dossier)

The largest European economy spends only 1.24% of its GDP to defense, against 3.5% in the United States, well below

"We protect Germany, France and everyone … it lasts for decades", has Trump said. "We will not stand it and it is inappropriate."

NATO officials and diplomats will try to promote an image of the unity at the top facing the growing threat of Russia, but after the attack of Trump The mercurial tycoon said before leaving Washington that his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday "could be the easiest part" of his European tour, which also includes a trip to Helsinki. Britain, where the government is in crisis over the Brexit

And he vowed not to "take advantage" of the European Union, which he accuses of relying on the United States for the defense while restricting US imports into the bloc,

– "Appreciate your allies" –

The meeting of 29 Western leaders could turn into a new public collapse following a summit of the countries of the G7 that split Canada last month.

Trump stepped up his rhetoric before the talks, explicitly establishing a link between NATO and transatlantic trade.

"The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers, our workers and our businesses to do business in Europe (the US has a trade deficit of $ 151 billion), and then they want us to "We are defending with joy through NATO, and we are paying nicely for it." Tweets it when arriving in Brussels

The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers, our workers and our companies doing business in Europe (the United States has a trade deficit of $ 151 billion), and they want us to defend them willingly through NATO, and pay nicely for that, but it does not work!

– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 10 July 2018

  Aris OIKONOMOU (AFP)

European officials have expressed their hopes that NATO members can hide their differences, but Tusk's salvo revealed the deep transatlantic.

"Dear America, appreciate your allies, after all, you do not have as many," said Tusk, before reminding Trump that European troops had come to the aid of the United States after the bombings of the United States. September 11, 2001 against the United States.

"Remember that tomorrow at the NATO summit, but especially when you meet President Putin in Helsinki, it is always worth knowing who your strategic friend is and who your strategic problem is", did he declare. ] Dear @realDonaldTrump . The United States does not have and will not have a better ally than the EU. We spend a lot more on defense than Russia and as much as China. I hope you have no doubt that it is an investment in our security, which can not be said with confidence about Russian and Chinese expenses: -)

– Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) July 10, 2018

Trump will meet the Russian leader in the Finnish capital on July 16 for his first summit as part of an ongoing investigation in the United States on the possible Trump's deal with Russia. 19659002] European diplomats fear a G7 rehearsal, when Trump clashes with his Western allies, withdraws from a joint statement and calls Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "dishonest and weak" before meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong One at a summit and congratulating him was feared that Trump, eager to be seen as a breakthrough with the Kremlin 's strongman, could make concessions that would weaken Western unity on issues like Ukraine and Syria.

Trump set the scene of the clashes at the summit by writing to a dozen allies to overwhelm them with a 2014 delay to try to devote 2% of their GDP to defending them here in 2024

 Aris Oikonomou (AFP / File) [ 1 9459024] </p>
<p> According to a joint statement prepared before the summit, part of which was seen by <em> AFP </em> members of the NATO will make an "unwavering commitment to all aspects of the 2014 Wales Investment Summit" which includes the 2% target. </p>
<p> But in order to appease the American president, they also commit to "submit credible national plans for its implementation". </p>
<p> satisfy Trump's demands – they show that only seven European countries of NATO will reach the goal of two percent in 2018. </p>
<p> They do not understand Germany, the most Europe's largest economy and the main target of the trump invective. 1.24% of GDP on defense in 2018. </p>
<p> US ambbadador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, told reporters that Trump would also reiterate one of the founding articles of the NATO – Article 5 – which argues that an attack against a member is an attack against them all. </p>
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