Trump says Germany 'is captive to Russia' in fiery opening salvo against NATO

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Trump says Germany ‘is captive to Russia’ in fiery opening salvo against NATO

By Michael Birnbaum and Seung Min Kim
July 11 at 5:12 AM

BRUSSELS — President Trump unleashed a blistering attack Wednesday on Germany and other NATO allies, wasting no time at the outset of a week of high-stakes diplomacy to hit at Washington’s closest partners for what he said were hypocritical demands for U.S. security protection.

“Germany, as far as I’m concerned, is captive to Russia because it’s getting so much of its energy from Russia,” Trump told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in a fiery on-camera exchange that was nearly without precedent in the post-World War II history of the alliance.

“We have to talk about the billions and billions of dollars that’s being paid to the country we’re supposed to be protecting you against,” Trump said, referring to European purchases of Russian natural gas.

Trump has complained bitterly about Europe’s lagging defense spending, saying that NATO nations were taking advantage of U.S. military largesse at the same time they were offering unfair trade terms to U.S. businesses. A favorite target of his ire has been Germany, which has not met its NATO spending commitments and is beginning construction on a second natural gas pipeline to Russia.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trump-says-germanyis-captive-to-russia-in-fiery-opening-salvo-against-nato/2018/07/11/56aa7174-7f0a-11e8-a63f-7b5d2aba7ac5_story.html

[braddy]

1. I don't understand why some nations have a military almost solely devoted to defense from Russia

yet put Russia in the position to turn off its heat in winter and its manufacturing, and the survival of its cities. A few NATO nations are trying to get away from that option.

[Pholus]

2. Hmmm, interesting.

20 percent of total energy imported causes hardship but does not force a survival crisis.

Besides, when your neighbor is Russia whose gross mismanagement and corruption means they can't make anything other than petroleum products and online troll farm memes you buy the petroleum. That's engagement and creation of mutual interest. The troll farms are full of useless people unable to get real jobs.

[braddy]

7. Obama pressured Europe to reduce that dangerous dependence on the enemy Russia.

[Pholus]

8. Yup, like an functioning adult would with dry white papers and diplomacy.

You think the orange turd screaming into the cameras is going to be persuasive on this?

Call it for what it actually is -- an attempt to fracture the NATO alliance.

[infinite_wisdom]

3. It is an awkward situation

Clearly Germany buys energy from Russia because it is by far the cheapest option on the table.
At the same time, they have good reasons to not trust Russia militarily.

What Trump is attempting to do by realigning the US with Russia and away from Europe is extremely spooky to me. He says the Europeans are ripping us off (which they really aren't in any way that significantly hurts our economy) so we should align ourselves with Vladimir Putin, as if this is going to resolve these economic disputes. It won't. It would likely make them worse.

Somehow, the US economy has managed a 10 year expansion beginning in Obama's first year as President despite all these horrifically "bad deals" we are engaged in around the world. I am not saying some of the issues are not real, but macro economically speaking they clearly don't have much impact. Otherwise, our economy would be in total disarray right now.

So Trump is just using the Europeans and the Chinese and the Mexicans and whoever else as an excuse. What he and Bannon really want to do is to turn the US into a white nationalist illiberal society run by oligarchs and the Church - a democracy in name only with an economy that is highly corrupt and capitalist in name only. That is what Putin's Russia is. That's what this is all about and the rest of this stuff is just Trump running misdirection.

[RVN VET71]

12. Cozying up to Putin helps Trump

It doesn't help Europe, it doesn't help America, it doesn't help the short sighted people who voted for Trump.

It helps Trump because Putin's got stuff on him, real stuff, ruining type stuff, which he is hanging over Trump's head. Trump knows if Putin opens up about him, he's finished, his treason will be so blatant that even Kavanaugh wouldn't be able to keep him out of prison. On the other hand, if Trump sells out his country and his country's allies, Putin will reward the POS with silence and maybe a couple prostitutes with full bladders.

So the choice is between a stable world and a strong America, on the one hand, or the ability to keep lying to his base about his good brain -- and possibly simply assuming power for life. It's a no brainer for Trump to choose the latter, and the bladder-filled hookers just add spice to the outcome.

The climate's gonna kill us all, anyway. So there is that.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. If I were Germany, I think I'd throw the US military bases out.

How insulting for a complete idiot to tell other countries how they should spend their money. Wonder if this is the way Putin wants him to blow up NATO and our allies?

Here's a Russian lapdog accusing another country of being a 'captive of Russia!

[fountainofyouth]

9. Isn't that cutting off the nose the spite the face?

Tempting though it is to spite that orange face.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. No, I believe Germany is perfectly capable of defending itself. Hell,

even the Moron thinks they should invest more in their military.

Might hurt the local economy until the Germans and other NATO partners repopulate them.

[LittleGirl]

5. Did you expect logic from IQ45?

He's going to embarrass us every moment he is in Europe. Don't be surprised because he will be an idiot.

[muntrv]

10. More projection from Putin's Puppet.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. The ultimate hypocrite.

If anyone is beholden to Russia, it's the entire Trump family and enterprise.

As a nation, we're as beholden to China far more than Germany is to Russia, so a double whammy of hypocrisy....

I hope Angela Merkel slaps the shit out of him......

[Duppers]

13. Exactly! nt