Germany does not owe any debt to NATO says defence minister

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Berlin owes NATO “vast sums of money” and must pay Washington more for defence.

“There is no account where debts are registered with NATO,” Von der Leyen, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said in a statement which also noted that NATO spending should not be the only criteria used to measure German military efforts.