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Wednesday 14 November 2018 - 07:11

French were 'learning German' before US joined world wars: Trump

Story Code : 761105
US President Donald Trump (R) and French president Emmanuel Macron prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on November 10, 2018, on the sidelines of commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of the 11 November 1918 armistice, ending World War I. (Photo by AFP)
US President Donald Trump (R) and French president Emmanuel Macron prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on November 10, 2018, on the sidelines of commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of the 11 November 1918 armistice, ending World War I. (Photo by AFP)

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, he also criticized his French counterpart for suggesting to create a European army against America.

President Emmanuel Macron had suggested building a military force to defend Europe against the US, China and Russia. Trump slammed Macron upon arrival in Paris last week, saying the suggestion was "very insulting."

On Tuesday, Trump once more turned up the heat on Macron for his defiant remark, claiming French people “were starting to learn German in Paris before the US came along" to intervene in WWl and WWll.

"The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France," Trump tweeted.

Trump pointed to Macron's "very low" 26 percent approval rating, saying the French president only suggested creating a European army to "get onto another subject."

Trump often exerts pressure on US allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pushing them to spend more, demanding that they all pay a greater share of NATO’s expenses by increasing their defense budgets to 2% of their GDP.

Trump has relayed his wants to Macron, and others, demanding that NATO partners pay up to make military and trade deals with them “fair”.

Trump has faced widespread international criticism over his “protectionist” and “nationalist” policies.

During Armistice Day remarks in Paris, Macron, in an apparent jab at Trump, described nationalism as a “betrayal of patriotism”
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