Both NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and German Chancellor Angela Merkel reinforced the importance of Germany's role in the transatlantic alliance after a meeting to discuss German defense and other issues on Thursday in Berlin.

Stoltenberg described Germany as "at the heart of NATO," while Merkel said NATO was the "cornerstone of security" for Germany.

Merkel also condemned comments by French President Emmanuel Macron made earlier on Thursday. "This view does not correspond to mine," she said.

Macron described NATO as "brain dead," drawing special attention to the changing role of the United States within NATO.

Merkel described Macron's statement as "drastic words" that she did not agree with, and she reconfirmed Germany's commitment to its role within NATO. "Such a sweeping attack is not necessary," she said.

Stoltenberg is visiting Berlin to attend events linked to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Read more: Opinion: More money won't alone fix Germany's military woes

Merkel: NATO must 'remain on speaking terms' with Turkey

When asked about the controversy surrounding Turkey's role in NATO given recent military action in Syria, the German chancellor suggested that throwing Turkey out of the alliance would achieve little.

"We have to foster dialogue and remain on speaking terms," she told reporters. Stoltenberg also expressed a desire for unity in troubled times, saying "We have to stand together."

Stoltenberg also welcomed the news that Germany will increase its military spending. He had met with German Defense Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to discuss this increase earlier on Thursday.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, a potential successor to Merkel, said Germany should set up a national security council to "do even more" in terms of defense.

Read more: Majority of Germans want Turkey kicked out of NATO: survey

Watch video 00:23 German defense minister proposes national security council

Stoltenberg: US distance from NATO would 'divide Europe'

The role and relevance of NATO have come under fire recently given US President Donald Trump's threat to "moderate" the US commitment to NATO should the alliance's members fail to meet a defense spending target of 2% of GDP.

"The reunification of Germany and Europe would have been impossible without the United States' security guarantee," said Stoltenberg earlier on Thursday. "Any attempt to distance Europe from North America will not only weaken the transatlantic alliance, it also risks dividing Europe itself."

Stoltenberg has previously been credited with keeping a skeptical Trump onside in NATO.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also visiting Germany this week, stressed the important of the NATO alliance.

"I think NATO remains an important, critical, perhaps historically one of the most critical, strategic partnerships in all of recorded history," Pompeo told reporters in the eastern city of Leipzig.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes Trump on NATO: A war of words Even before taking office, US President Donald Trump's relationship with NATO has been a tumultuous one, to say the least. He has disparaged the trans-Atlantic alliance, once describing it as "obsolete" and a relic of the Cold War. Here are Trump's most memorable quotes about the military alliance, even if they are at times false.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes 'Days of the Soviet Union' While on the campaign trail in 2016, Trump made clear that he saw NATO as a relic of the Cold War. "You know, we're dealing with NATO from the days of the Soviet Union, which no longer exists. We need to either transition into terror or we need something else." But his remarks didn't account for how the alliance backed the US well after the collapse of the Soviet Union, especially in Afghanistan.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes 'Germany owes vast sums' Trump has made defense spending his main talking point on NATO. But he has falsely accused member states of owing money to Washington, saying: "Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO, and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany." The problem is NATO doesn't work like that. No money is owed to the alliance for defense or otherwise.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes 'Obsolete' Days before his inauguration, Trump caught NATO members off guard when he claimed the alliance was "obsolete" and threatened to withdraw support. "I said a long time ago that NATO had problems: Number one, it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago." Months later, he retracted his statement, citing changes within the alliance. "Now they fight terrorism," he said.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes 'Doesn't sound very smart' Trump had tended to lump trade between US allies with how much Washington spends on defense. "We are spending a fortune on military in order to lose $800 billion (in trade losses). That doesn't sound very smart to me," Trump said. The problem is that while NATO members have agreed to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense, the alliance has nothing to do with international trade.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes 'We are the schmucks' During a 2018 rally in Montana, Trump hit out at European allies, saying: "They want (us) to protect against Russia, and yet they pay billions of dollars to Russia, and we're the schmucks paying for the whole thing." Trump was referring to Russia as Europe's primary source for oil and natural gas, but he created a false dichotomy between energy reliance and NATO's defense spending goal.

Donald Trump on NATO: Top quotes 'Congratulations, you're in World War III' In an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked why the US should jump to the defense of NATO ally Montenegro if it was attacked. The president said he asked himself the same question, a remark that appeared to undermine the alliance's collective defense clause. Trump went on to describe Montenegrins as "very strong" and "very aggressive," and that that aggression risked starting World War III. Author: Lewis Sanders IV, Elliot Douglas



ed/sms (Reuters, dpa)

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