U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his accusation that Germany does not pay its fair share of dues in NATO, three days after a meeting with the country's leader that the White House said went well.
"...they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change," Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday.
After the recent G-7 meeting in Sicily, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days."
But Tuesday, Merkel clarified that she remains committed to strong ties between the U.S. and Germany.
"Our trans-Atlantic relationship is of the utmost importance," she said. "And the statement I made, or what I said recently, is due to the fact that, in the face of the present circumstances we have additional reasons for us to realize that we have to take our fate in our own hands in Europe."
Merkel, among other European leaders, was sharply critical of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision at the recent G-7 meeting in Sicily not to reiterate support for the 2015 Paris agreement to combat climate change. In a pared down final communique, all G-7 nations except the U.S. pledged action to mitigate climate change. Merkel has said the climate agreement is so important there should not be any compromise on it.
While acknowledging that Germany and Europe should strive to maintain good relations with the United States and Britain, which is leaving the European Union, Merkel said, “We need to know we must fight for our own future as Europeans, for our destiny.”
