Germany’s Scholz fires back at Trump

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shot back at Donald Trump without mentioning the former U.S. president by name on Monday, calling any “relativization” of NATO’s mutual defense obligations “irresponsible and dangerous.”

The alliance’s “promise of protection applies unreservedly — all for one, one for all,” said Scholz, standing at the chancellery in Berlin beside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who invoked the same phrase in comments made earlier in the day.

“And let me be clear about the current situation,” Scholz continued. “Any relativization of NATO's guarantee of mutual assistance is irresponsible and dangerous and is solely in the interests of Russia. Nobody can be allowed to gamble with Europe's security.”

Trump triggered uproar across Europe after telling a crowd during a weekend campaign stop in South Carolina that he would “encourage” Russia to invade NATO allies who are “delinquent,” saying: “You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”

Tusk, who arrived in Berlin to meet Scholz after seeing French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris earlier that day, said that “regardless” of what Trump says, “it is really in our common European interest that all NATO member states directly and clearly increase the funding of defense” capabilities.

“This is really necessary and not because Donald Trump said so, but quite objectively,” Tusk added. “We have to take care of improving our defense potential ourselves and this European part of NATO has to take a more determined stand. I would try to convince all European partners in NATO of this.”