NATO summit: Trump says Germany is ‘captive’ to Russia

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

NATO summit: Trump says Germany is ‘captive’ to Russia

10:40 CAT | 11 Jul 2018

At a breakfast meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Donald Trump said Germany is 'captive' to Russia [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]

US President Donald Trump has told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Germany is “captive” to Russia because it is importing energy from there.

In a heated exchange with the NATO chief ahead of a summit in Brussels on Wednesday, the US president was fiercely critical of German oil and gas imports from Russia.

“They pay billions of dollars to Russia and we have to defend them against Russia,” Trump told Stoltenberg at a breakfast meeting.

“Germany as far as I’m concerned is captive to Russia because it’s getting so much of its energy from Russia,” he said.

Stoltenberg conceded that there was disagreement between NATO allies over a natural gas pipeline deal between Germany and Russia, but said that the organisaton’s strength lies in that “despite these difference we have always been able to unite around our cause to protect and defend each other”.

Dozens of NATO leaders are set to meet in Brussels on for what is likely to be a stormy summit.

Although the 29-member military alliance’s annual meetings have traditionally been fairly by-the-book affairs, expectations are different this year – thanks, in large, to Trump.

The US president has been openly critical of many of NATO’s practices, often railing against Washington spending more money on defence than other member states.

Trump’s criticism might put further strain on the relationship between the Western allies, especially following last month’s turbulent G7 meeting.

President Donald Trump has accused fellow NATO ally Germany of being beholden to Russia because it buys energy from Moscow, in pointed remarks ahead of a summit of the military alliance in Brussels: https://t.co/0ZJQ727U3o pic.twitter.com/pvXnhq2qb0

— CNN (@CNN) July 11, 2018

“Germany is totally controlled by Russia,” Pres. Trump tells NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg as they sit down together for bilateral breakfast ahead of Brussels summit. https://t.co/CmyplgrxzN pic.twitter.com/6RnFk8Drgs

— ABC News (@ABC) July 11, 2018

Full transcript of Trump’s #NATO Breakfast‘s roasting of #Germany …1/3#NATOSUMMIT2018 pic.twitter.com/mtFiP82y7H

— Gavin Lee (@GavinLeeBBC) July 11, 2018