French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he disagrees with President Trump’s contention that Germany is “captive to Russia” because of energy imports.
Macron said “no” in English when a reporter asked for his thoughts on whether Merkel was “beholden” to Russians.
“No, I think we, we just discussed, we work together,” Macron said.
[Related: John Kerry hits Trump for ‘disgraceful,’ ‘destructive’ remarks on Germany during NATO summit]
Earlier in the day, Trump questioned Germany’s independence from Russia during the first day of a summit meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels.
“Germany, as far as I’m concerned, is captive to Russia because it’s getting so much of its energy from Russia,” Trump said while meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressing concern about how the defensive military alliance “be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against.”
Trump’s surprising remarks come as he pressures U.S. allies in Europe to put 2 percent of their gross domestic product toward military spending, as NATO members agreed in 2006 to do. The summit also comes amid increasing tariffs between the U.S. and historical allies, following Trump’s decision to impose steel and aluminum levies earlier this year.
Shortly after questioning Germany’s independence, Trump and Merkel had a cordial “pull aside” meeting. They did not publicly discuss his allegation.
“We have a very, very good relationship with the chancellor. We have a tremendous relationship with Germany,” Trump said while meeting with Merkel. “You have had tremendous success and I want to congratulate you.”
Merkel said she and Trump discussed issues of migration and trade, and that the countries remain “good partners.”
In separate remarks to reporters, Merkel, who was raised in communist East Germany, indirectly rejected Trump’s suggestion that Germany was dependent on Russia.
“I’ve experienced myself a part of Germany controlled by the Soviet Union and I’m very happy today that we are united in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany and can thus say that we can determine our own policies and make our own decisions and that’s very good,” she said.
[More: House passes pro-NATO resolution hours after Trump criticism]
