Trump says Germany "is captive to Russia" in a fiery opening salvo against NATO



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President Trump unleashed a deadly attack on Wednesday against Germany and other NATO allies, not wasting time at the start of a week diplomacy to attack Washington's closest partners for hypocritical demands. American security protection. "In my case, Germany is a prisoner of Russia because it receives so much energy from Russia," Trump told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. , during a heated exchange on camera almost unprecedented. in the history of the alliance after the Second World War.

"We must talk about the billions and billions of dollars that are paid to the country against which we are supposed to protect you," Trump said, referring to Europe.

Trump complained bitterly of Europe's late defense spending, claiming that NATO countries were taking advantage of US military largesse at the same time as they were offering conditions. unfair trade to US companies. Germany, which has not met its commitment to NATO spending, is starting construction of a second gas pipeline to Russia.

The American leader went to Europe by announcing on Monday a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. will be the easiest of its week of diplomacy – an unusual claim that contradicts NATO leaders who believe the alliance should project a strong, united front against a strategic rival

Trump preferred to target his allies. Even Stoltenberg – a former gentle-mannered Norwegian prime minister who entertained positive relations with Trump – seemed silenced when Trump cut him off after he began to explain that the allies had traded with the United States. Russia even during the cold war. Earlier in the trade, Trump demanded Stoltenberg's credit to force an increase in NATO's defense budgets.

"It was also because of your direction," Stoltenberg told Trump. The budget increases began after the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia in 2014, and they accelerated at the time of Trump in response to criticism from the US president: "We are supposed to protect the Germany, but get their energy from Russia. " , while the assistants on the American side and NATO from a long table were moving in their seats and seemed uncomfortable. "So explain that."

Germany's energy relations with Russia have long frustrated Washington and Eastern Europe, who fear that the Nordstream pipeline that bypasses Baltic countries and Poland can be used to cut them off from the world crucial energy supplies.The former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is one of the senior executives of the Russian government-controlled company that manages the Nordstream pipeline.

Trump is in Brussels for two days of NATO meetings, after which he will travel to England to meet British Prime Minister Theresa May, spend the weekend in one of his private golf clubs in Scotland, then travel to Helsinki for a meeting with Putin.

They believe that many diplomats fear that Trump's anger over defense spending will eclipse the summit, and some even worry that he will not sign on. signing of an agreement already approved by National Security Councilor John Bolton, repeating a decision he made last month at the Group of Seven summit in Canada

. the fall of security, asking the question of whether the most powerful member of NATO is always ready to defend his allies in case of attack.

NATO leaders also fear the concessions that Trump could make to Putin. Trump raised the possibility of firing American troops from Germany. At the G-7 summit, he told the leaders that he thought that Crimea belonged to Russia because most of its inhabitants are Russian-speakers, another position that would upset the security decisions of the country. West against Russia since 2014.

Stoltenberg tried to dispel the differences, telling reporters that NATO was getting stronger.

"I expect open and frank discussions, and there are disagreements on different issues," he said. new seat for the summit. "But despite these disagreements, I think we will agree on the fundamentals that we are stronger than separated."