NATO is a "decisive cornerstone" of security, but getting the Germans to recognize its importance is another battle, said German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, speaking on the military alliance's future.
"NATO remains a decisive cornerstone," said Kramp-Karrenbauer, speaking at the annual 'NATO Talk around the Brandenburger Tor' event on Monday.
It was also important to explain to the German public why the country needed to play a more active role in international security matters, Kramp-Karrenbauer said.
But she admitted that discussions of security matters "win no popularity contests," saying that the German public would need a "weaning" period to get used to the idea of the nation wielding a larger military influence.
Wolfgang Ischinger, chair of the Munich Security Conference and formerly German ambassador to the US and deputy foreign minister, also contested Macron's assertion at the conference.
"Our American partners have increased their presence in Europe. They are planning a big exercise next year, bigger than any exercise before. So we can't call it brain-dead," he said.
The comments by Kramp-Karrenbauer and Ischinger joined Merkel and other prominent German voices, who last week spoke out after Macron said a lack of US leadership had rendered NATO effectively "brain-dead."
Lacking coordination
However, Ischinger also appeared to support Macron's stance on leadership matters, saying, "If I were the one sitting at the Elysee [Palace], I'd be concerned about NATO partners who are not coordinating with others."
This appeared to be a reference both to the United States, which pulled forces out of Syria without warning NATO partners in the region like the UK and France, and to Turkey, which then immediately sent its military into the area.
The French president has criticized both of these countries for their actions, with his comments following soon after.
From disparaging NATO member states to calling it "obsolete," US President Donald Trump has rarely said something positive about the decades-old military alliance. DW looks at the US president's most memorable quotes.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/J. Torres
Trump on NATO: A war of words
Even before taking office, US President Donald Trump's relationship with NATO has been a tumultuous one, to say the least. He has disparaged the trans-Atlantic alliance, once describing it as "obsolete" and a relic of the Cold War. Here are Trump's most memorable quotes about the military alliance, even if they are at times false.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/J. Torres
'Days of the Soviet Union'
While on the campaign trail in 2016, Trump made clear that he saw NATO as a relic of the Cold War. "You know, we're dealing with NATO from the days of the Soviet Union, which no longer exists. We need to either transition into terror or we need something else." But his remarks didn't account for how the alliance backed the US well after the collapse of the Soviet Union, especially in Afghanistan.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Kulbis
'Germany owes vast sums'
Trump has made defense spending his main talking point on NATO. But he has falsely accused member states of owing money to Washington, saying: "Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO, and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany." The problem is NATO doesn't work like that. No money is owed to the alliance for defense or otherwise.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
'Obsolete'
Days before his inauguration, Trump caught NATO members off guard when he claimed the alliance was "obsolete" and threatened to withdraw support. "I said a long time ago that NATO had problems: Number one, it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago." Months later, he retracted his statement, citing changes within the alliance. "Now they fight terrorism," he said.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/T. Stavrakis
'Doesn't sound very smart'
Trump had tended to lump trade between US allies with how much Washington spends on defense. "We are spending a fortune on military in order to lose $800 billion (in trade losses). That doesn't sound very smart to me," Trump said. The problem is that while NATO members have agreed to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense, the alliance has nothing to do with international trade.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Vucci
'We are the schmucks'
During a 2018 rally in Montana, Trump hit out at European allies, saying: "They want (us) to protect against Russia, and yet they pay billions of dollars to Russia, and we're the schmucks paying for the whole thing." Trump was referring to Russia as Europe's primary source for oil and natural gas, but he created a false dichotomy between energy reliance and NATO's defense spending goal.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/V. Kryeziu
'Congratulations, you're in World War III'
In an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked why the US should jump to the defense of NATO ally Montenegro if it was attacked. The president said he asked himself the same question, a remark that appeared to undermine the alliance's collective defense clause. Trump went on to describe Montenegrins as "very strong" and "very aggressive," and that that aggression risked starting World War III.
In the tweet, Kramp-Karrenbauer — also known as AKK — added: "For decades we've profited from our allies being responsible for our safety. I want to close the gap between our often-formulated claims and our actual actions in the politics of security."
