Angela Merkel speaking with Donald Trump in Italy. The transatlantic diplomatic rift widened on Tuesday as US President Donald Trump responded to criticism from Chancellor Angela Merkel with a new attack on German trade tactics and defense spending. Germany was particularly discomfited, and Merkel wasted no time in warning German voters that the United States can no longer be relied upon as before. SEE ALSO: Five things to understand US-German trade relationsTrump's response came in the early hours of Tuesday when he took to Twitter to once again demand that Germany renegotiate the terms of transatlantic trade and boost its defense spending. "We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military," Trump wrote, in his flamboyantly undiplomatic style.

Source: The Local May 31, 2017 07:41 UTC