Trump demands Merkel pay up 'fair share' for defense

US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a joint news conference in Washington on April 27, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

US President Donald Trump criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for refusing to pay her “fair share” for defense, during an intense 30-minute meeting they had in his office in Washington.

Trump said he told Merkel during her visit to Washington on Friday that it was “essential” for Germany to meet the goal that the NATO has set that each member spend at least two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on its own defense each year.

“All member states must honor their commitment to two percent, and hopefully much more, of GDP, on defense,” he added.

Trump said that they also “talked about the security of Europe and the responsibility of European nations to properly contribute to their own defense.”

“NATO is wonderful, but it helps Europe more than it helps us, and why are we paying the vast majority of the costs?” he asked.

Merkel, who has so far refused to meet the goal, said Berlin would spend 1.3 percent in 2019, and increase which she said that “from the president's perspective not perhaps fast enough.”

She explained that Germany was “the second largest troop contributor in NATO,” and that it has done “a lot over the past few years.”

Merkel’s visit to Washington lasted less than three hours, during which the two made no attempt to hide their deep differences, including what Trump explained as “unfair” trade relationship between the US and Europe.

The chancellor’s low-key visit to Washington came in stark contrast to that of French President Emmanuel Macron that went on for three whole days.


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