Tells NATO allies Germany is "totally controlled" and "a captive of Russia"

At the NATO summit in Brussels, just days before meeting Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Trump attacked key ally Germany by claiming it was "totally controlled by Russia" and "a captive of Russia" due to its energy deals. During a working breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said "Germany is totally controlled by Russia … They will be getting between 60 and 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline" and complained "They pay billions of dollars to Russia and we have to defend them against Russia." German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected the claim, saying Germany makes independent policies. Trump told reporters that Putin "may be the easiest of them all" compared to NATO allies. The attack undermined allied unity and echoed Russian talking points days before the Helsinki summit, leading critics to question whether Trump was doing Putin's work for him.

"Germany is totally controlled by Russia … They pay billions of dollars to Russia and we have to defend them against Russia." — July 11, 2018 remarks at NATO summit breakfast with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels