Germany Owes NATO 'vast Sums': Trump

WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Mar, 2017 ) : US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused Germany of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO, and said Berlin should pay Washington more for defense, a day after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The two leaders showed little common ground Friday over a host of thorny issues, including NATO and defense spending. On Saturday, Trump tweeted: "Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!" During their joint news conference Friday, Trump -- who has criticized NATO as "obsolete" -- demanded that America's allies in the military alliance pay back "vast sums of money from past years.

" Merkel said Germany had committed to increasing its military spending to the previously agreed level of two percent of GDP for NATO's European members.

Trump set the tone for his relations with Merkel during his campaign last year, saying her decision to allow refugees into Germany was a "catastrophic mistake" and suggested she was "ruining Germany."