Trump’s meeting with Merkel fraught with friction over NATO, refugees, trade
President Donald Trump on Friday said he has “strong support” for NATO and declared he is not an “isolationist” on free trade. But he emphasized during a White House summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that member nations must contribute their “fair share” to support the security alliance.
At a joint news conference, Trump said some NATO countries owe “vast sums” in dues, which is “very unfair to the United States” — an allegation that appeared based on an incomplete understanding of how the alliance is funded.
“These nations must pay what they owe,” Trump said, with Merkel standing next to him in the East Room.
Yet Trump misstated how NATO financing works, saying that each nation agreed to contribute 2 percent of gross domestic product. In fact, outside of relatively small assessments to pay the physical costs of operating NATO headquarters and command facilities, the organization long ago set a goal that each member would devote at least 2 percent of GDP to defense in their own budgets.
The members contribute their capabilities to NATO, not monetary assessments. Those who haven't reached 2 percent, which is the majority of nations, don’t “owe” or have to make up shortfalls of the past.
During the news conference, Trump also addressed immigration in the wake of decisions this week by federal judges to suspend, for a second time, his attempt to temporarily halt the U.S. refugee program and to impose a travel ban on six majority-Muslim nations from the Middle East and Northern Africa.
“Immigration is a privilege, not a right,” Trump said, adding that “the safety of our citizens must always come first.”
Merkel’s decision to welcome large numbers of Syrian refugees stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s insistence that the U.S.’s refugee program has made the country vulnerable to terrorist infiltration.
Merkel acknowledged the need to secure borders and work to integrate immigrants into society, but she emphasized that such goals have “to be done while looking at the refugees as well, given them the opportunity to shape their lives.”
The White House summit marked a highstakes first meeting for the leaders who have clashed on a range of issues. Trump was sharply critical of Merkel during the presidential campaign, accusing her of “ruining Germany” over her more liberal policies on free trade and Syrian refugees. He has also expressed support for Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.
Ahead of the news conference, the two sat for a brief photo op for reporters in the Oval Office. They said little and did not shake hands, though they did shake when Trump met her limousine outside the West Wing.
The friction between Trump and Merkel is a sharp contrast to Merkel’s warm relationship with Obama, whose world view was largely aligned with Merkel’s on many issues. Her summit with Trump was being closely watched at home and abroad for signs of how the two leaders will engage each other, which could help determine the future of U.S. support for the European Union and NATO.
As much as Trump has rejected the linchpins of the post-World War II international order and Merkel has been its defender, German officials insisted her visit is intended to strengthen the relationship between the longtime allies.