Trump calls Macron's idea for European army 'very insulting'

US President Donald Trump, who just arrived in Paris for WWI 100th anniversary commemorations, said on Friday that French president Macron's suggestion of Europe building its own military to protect itself from US and other nations "very insulting".

"President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the US, China and Russia. Very insulting," Trump said in a tweet, Xinhua news agency reported.

"But perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the US subsidizes greatly!" he tweeted.

Earlier this week, Macron said in an interview with Europe 1 that he wanted "a real European army" to protect the Europeans from the US and other nations.

Trump had been frequently criticising European nations for failing to meet the official annual defense spending target of two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) set by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

According to NATO figures, only five of 29 allies met their defense spending targets this year -- Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Britain and the US.

Earlier in July, Macron had said that a NATO summit statement had confirmed the goal of 2 per cent by 2024.

--IANS

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