Trump blasts Macron over European army proposal
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump yesterday launched another attack against Emmanuel Macron over the French president’s call for a European army, a proposal the US leader earlier had dubbed “insulting”.
“Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the US, China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France?” Mr Trump tweeted.
“They were starting to learn German in Paris before the US came along,” Mr Trump said. “Pay for Nato or not!”
The Republican president has repeatedly lambasted European allies for not spending enough on their militaries, particularly Germany.
Mr Macron had angered Mr Trump by saying Europe needed its own army and listing the US along with Russia and China as a threat to European security.
Mr Trump tweeted after landing in Paris for World War I commemorations that Mr Macron’s call for a “real European army” was “insulting”.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Macron said the two leaders had spoken about what his office has portrayed as a misunderstanding.
Both leaders agree that Europe should be less reliant on US spending for its defense, Mr Macron said.
But he told CNN: “To be very direct with you, what I don’t want to see is European countries increasing the budget in defense in order to buy American and other arms or materials coming from your industry.”
US officials have stressed that Washington is fully committed to the alliance despite the comments.