At a meeting in 2018, Richard Grenell and Angela Merkel seemed relaxed

Photo:

Wolfgang Kumm/dpa

The former US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, has accused former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) of serious failings against the background of the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.

"Donald Trump had three main concerns that Germany did not want to fulfill," said the former US President's close confidante to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung."

These concerns were the end of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, higher defense spending and new sanctions against Iran.

"History has shown that he was right in all three cases," said Grenell.

"If she had followed us, we wouldn't have war in Ukraine or Gaza." The ex-diplomat complained that neither Merkel nor the traffic light government had apologized for it.

Decision about NATO Secretary General

Grenell denied that Trump wanted to weaken NATO.

"President Trump is determined to strengthen NATO if it wants to be strong," he said.

However, it starts with “everyone making their fair contribution.”

Members of the alliance who spend less than two percent on defense "should lose the right to vote on some issues, such as the election of the NATO Secretary General," he suggested.

Grenell rejected the Dutch politician Mark Rutte, who was favored by Germany, the current US government and other countries for this office.

During Rutte's time in government, the Netherlands "refused" to pay its share of NATO spending, he said as justification.

Grenell also called for the decision on the successor to the current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to be postponed until after the US presidential election.

An immediate peace plan

Grenell immediately called for a peace plan for Ukraine.

The governments in Kiev and Moscow should have the say.

"Everything has to come from Ukraine and Russia," said the former ambassador.

However, he added: “But they don’t do it on their own.

They have to be forced.

This is what allies on both sides need to do.”

It is likely that Donald Trump will run again in this year's presidential election and challenge incumbent Joe Biden.

Concern is growing in the West that the USA could move away from NATO under Trump.

During the election campaign, the Republican recently said: If NATO states spent too little on defense, he would not protect them from Russia.

SMS/AFP