German officials lined up to condemn Donald Trump’s latest verbal attack on the country, after the U.S. leader confirmed his plan to withdraw troops from the NATO ally unless Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government boosts defense spending.
The move to cut troop strength by more than a quarter to 25,000 is the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the two countries. Trump has dwelled on what he sees as Germany’s failure to contribute more to North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense, on the country’s perceived trade advantage and on gas shipments from Russia.
