Trump: U.S. ‘must be paid more’ to defend Germany
Trump and Merkel tried to sidestep their differences in their meeting at the White House on Friday, but it was punctuated by some awkward moments.
President WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said Saturday that Germany owes “vast sums of money” to NATO and the U.S. “must be paid more” for providing defense, reiterating his stance that European allies need to meet their end of the bargain if they are to continue benefiting from the military alliance.
Trump’s tweet from his Florida resort, where he is spending the weekend, came the day after his first meeting with Germany’s leader.
“Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel,” the president wrote. “Nevertheless, Germany owes ... vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!”
The message was misleading because no nation actually “owes” money to NATO; its direct funding is calculated through a formula and paid by each of the 28 nations that are members.
Trump may have been referring to the fact that Germany, like most NATO countries, falls short of the alliance’s guideline that each member should allocate 2 percent of its gross domestic product to military spending, but that money is not intended to be paid to NATO or to the United States.
Trump and Merkel tried to sidestep their differences in their meeting at the White House on Friday, but it was punctuated by some awkward moments.
During a photo op in the Oval Office, the two did not shake hands before reporters. Later, during a joint news conference, Trump pushed back against the notion in Europe that his “America First” agenda means he’s an isolationist, calling the suggestion “another example of, as you say, fake news.” He also referred to the United States as “a very powerful company,” before quickly correcting that to “country.”
When a German reporter asked Trump if he regretted any of his commentary on Twitter, Trump said, “Very seldom.”
He reaffirmed the United States’ “strong support” for NATO, but reiterated his stance that NATO allies need to “pay their fair share” for the cost of defense. Trump said at the press conference that many countries owe “vast sums of money” — but he declined to identify Germany, at the time, as one of those nations.
Prior to his inauguration, Trump declared NATO “obsolete” but has since modified his stance, telling European leaders the alliance remains of strategic importance. Only the U.S. and four other members currently reach the benchmark of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. Germany spends 1.23 percent but it increasing that share.
At the White House on Friday, Merkel said Germany would meet its previously stated goal of increasing its military spending to 2 percent of its GDP by 2024.
Trump said on Friday that he had thanked Merkel for that commitment, but hinted that he was impatient over whether Germany and other countries would “pay what they owe.”
“Many nations owe vast sums of money from past years, and it is very unfair to the United States,” the president said.