Donald Trump accused Germany of being “totally controlled by Russia” on Wednesday in a blistering attack on an ally that overshadowed the Nato summit.
The US president accused Angela Merkel’s country of being “captive” to Russia because of its joint energy deals, including a proposed new gas pipeline.
He questioned why America was spending billions of dollars countering the Kremlin through Nato while European countries handed similar amounts to Russia in business deals.
Mr Trump also suggested that Nato’s 29 members spend 4 per cent of their GDP on defence – double the 2 per cent target that all but a handful of countries are already missing.
The criticism drew a rebuttal from Mrs Merkel,…