Washington (AFP) - US Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday strongly criticized Germany at NATO's 70th anniversary gathering, saying the ally's level of defense spending and work with Russia on a gas pipeline were "simply unacceptable."

"Germany must do more. And we cannot ensure the defense of the West if our allies grow dependent on Russia," Pence told a forum as part of two days of alliance events in Washington.

"It is simply unacceptable for Europe's largest economy to continue to ignore the threat of Russian aggression and neglect its own self-defense and our common defense," Pence said.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced annoyance that Germany is not on track to meet a goal set by NATO in 2014 of each member spending two percent of GDP on defense.