BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's centre-left chancellor candidate Martin Schulz on Tuesday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of destroying Western values and undermining international cooperation.

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Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Schulz said Trump was "the destroyer of all Western values", adding that the U.S. president was undermining the peaceful cooperation of nations based on mutual respect and tolerance.

"One must stand in the way of such a man with his ideology of rearmament," Schulz added.

Trump criticized Germany earlier on Tuesday for its trade surplus and military spending levels, a day after Chancellor Angela Merkel rammed home her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally.

In a tweet, Trump said: "We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change."

(Reporting by Matthias Sobolewski; Writing by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Paul Carrel)