Trump says Germany pays too little to NATO, US
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump criticized Germany on Saturday for paying too little to both NATO and the United States for security support, a day after he held a chilly meeting at the White House with Chancellor Angela Merkel that showcased the two leaders’ disagreements.
“Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter as he began his weekend at Mar-aLago, his estate in Palm Beach.
“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!” he continued.
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.
The president’s Twitter messages came after an awkward White House meeting at which Trump appeared to refuse Merkel’s offer to shake hands in the Oval Office. The visit highlighted the gulf between the U.S. president, who has styled himself as a foe of globalism, and the German chancellor, a staunch defender of the liberal world order.
Trump expressed deep skepticism during his campaign about the utility of NATO, and while he has praised the organization since taking office, he has made it clear that he believes the member countries must contribute more to an alliance that guarantees a common defense for all who belong to it.
U.S. presidents have long pressed for their NATO partners to commit more financing and other resources, but Trump and Jim Mattis, the defense secretary, have gone a step further, suggesting that the United States might reduce its contribution if other countries do not increase theirs.