"Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel," Trump tweeted Saturday. | Getty Trump in tweet: Germany owes U.S. 'vast sums of money' for NATO

A day after meeting the German chancellor, President Donald Trump on Saturday tweeted that the country owes the United States "vast sums of money" for defense under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's security umbrella.

"Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes....." Trump wrote on Twitter. "...vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!"


Trump has consistently said on the campaign trail and as president that countries that fall under NATO auspices are not paying their way, and has urged them to increase defense spending.

At a press conference following his Friday meeting with Merkel at the White House, Trump declared his support for NATO and said he was not an "isolationist."

"I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel our strong support for NATO, as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defense," he added.

Ivo Daalder, the former U.S. ambassador to NATO, disagreed with the president's assessment that Germany owes America "vast sums of money."

"This is not a financial transaction, where NATO countries pay the US to defend them. It is part of our treaty commitment," he tweeted Saturday. "All NATO countries, including Germany, have committed to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. So far 5 of 28 NATO countries do. Those who currently don’t spend 2% of their GDP on defense are now increasing their defense budgets. That’s a good thing. But no funds will be paid to the US. They are meant to increase NATO’s overall defense capabilities, given the growing Russian threat."

Merkel had several awkward exchanges with Trump Friday. During an Oval Office photo op, Merkel asked to shake the president's hand, which Trump ignored and continued to stare at the cameras. It is unclear whether Trump heard Merkel. The two shook hands earlier in the day.