US President Donald Trump lashed out at Germany, branding it a "captive of Russia" because of a "very inappropriate" gas pipeline deal in a prickly start to NATO talks.
Speaking at a breakfast with the NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, Trump said it was unfair that the US spent more on the transatlantic security alliance than its allies, and said Germany was a "rich country" that could increase its defence spending immediately.
The US president said $40bn had been raised for NATO in the last year "because of me", but added that was not nearly enough.
He also criticised Germany’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline deal with Russia, a country he said the US was supposed to be protecting Europe from.
"Germany is a captive of Russia," Trump said, adding that Germany having made the deal was "very inappropriate."
Stoltenberg told Trump that the alliance disagreed with his stance on the pipeline deal, the Financial Times reported.
