Politics
21:43, 11-Jul-2018
NATO summit: Trump, Merkel meet after the 'captive' claim
Updated
21:23, 14-Jul-2018
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US President Donald Trump held a one-on-one meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
The encounter comes after Trump launched a furious attack on Germany while Western leaders gathered in Brussels for a NATO summit, accusing Berlin of being "captive" to Russia for energy.
The tone of their remarks when they jointly addressed reporters afterward
appeared businesslike, as Trump told reporters who were allowed in to the meeting room that they had a great meeting and discussed military expenditure and trade.
March 17, 2017: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House. /VCG Photo
March 17, 2017: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House. /VCG Photo
Merkel said she had discussed migration and trade with Trump and looked
forward to further exchanges as the United States remained a partner of
Germany.
Before their encounter, Trump just attacked Berlin, saying that it is "totally controlled by Russia."
But it seems that Merkel holds a totally different attitude.
She fired back just three hours after Trump's attack, recalling her own youth in Soviet-dominated East Germany and said Germany was independent in its policy choices.
July 11, 2018: US President Donald Trump walks at the start of a NATO summit at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. /VCG Photo
July 11, 2018: US President Donald Trump walks at the start of a NATO summit at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. /VCG Photo
“I have experienced myself how a part of Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union," Merkel told reporters on arrival at a NATO summit in Brussels.
She also defended Germany’s contribution to an alliance which Trump says has placed too much burden on the US taxpayer, adding that her country does a lot for NATO.
“Germany is the second largest provider of troops, the largest part of our military capacity is offered to NATO and until today, we have a strong engagement toward Afghanistan. In that, we also defend the interests of the United States.”
The two-day NATO summit at the new headquarters in Brussels brings together more than 40 heads of government, including the 29 allies and non-member partners from Finland to Afghanistan.
(Cover: US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel shake hands after a press conference in the East Room of the White House, March 17, 2017. /VCG Photo)