U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell Monday struck back at critics of President Donald Trump's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, pointing out the president has been using "dual-track approaches" when dealing with other world leaders.
"I have waited a long time to have a president use dual-track approaches when it comes to other countries," Grenell told Fox News' "Fox & Friends," with Trump due to arrive in Brussels for this week's North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit.
"It's clear, if you look at the facts, the Trump administration has put sanctions on Russia. This is one track.
It also makes sense for Trump to speak with Putin and to be able to tell him he'd like his behavior to change, and that's what he is doing, the ambassador said.
Grenell said he doesn't know exactly what approach, meanwhile, that Trump will take when dealing with NATO this week.
"Let me just tell you that the NATO allies have been increasing their defense spending," said Grenell. "But here in Germany, the announcement is that they going to be able to achieve 1.5 percent by 2024. That's not two percent."
He explained that according to a commitment made in 2014, countries were to be able to bring their military spending up to 2 percent of their country's gross domestic product, and that is still "really needed."
"I think it's wrong to think of this as anything but strengthening the Trans-Atlantic Alliance," said Grenell.
"When countries in Europe start spending more and have a military that's ready for any problem that may develop, when they have their spending up at 2 percent, which is the NATO requirement, that means that these countries here in Europe are stronger, and It means the NATO alliance is stronger."
The United States' policy is simple, he added: "We are trying to make the Trans-Atlantic Alliance stronger by having European countries have militaries that are ready."
Grenell also discussed the news that trade wars are looming with Trump's tariffs, saying he's pleased that Trump won't let the status quo continue.
"Americans need to realize is that when it comes to auto tariffs, the Europeans have a 10 percent auto tariff on us," said the ambassador.
"We have a 2.5 percent tariff on them. That is not a free, fair and reciprocal trade relationship. What we're trying to do is make that relationship more free and fair. This deal is going to be done through the European Union and done in Brussels."
In Berlin, the United States is trying to listen to German automakers eager to lower tariffs to zero.
What we are trying to do is work with the German government, to work with the German CEOs, I'm working closely with Secretary [Wilbur] Ross and the White House to try to have that conversation which I think is a healthy conversation to say what would it take to get to zero? There's no proposal on the table."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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