Brennan blasts ‘dangerously naive & grossly ignorant’ US president

Former CIA Director John Brennan has slammed Donald Trump after the US president censured allies for their contributions to NATO at the Western military alliance’s annual summit in Brussels, calling him “dangerously naive & grossly ignorant.”

“It is in the interest of America’s security if NATO leaders push back against the reckless behavior of Donald Trump, who is dangerously naive & grossly ignorant of how the world works,” Brennan said on Twitter on Wednesday.

“History inevitably will regard Trump as one of the most disastrous figures of the 21st century,” the former top spy continued.

Trump: Raise military spending to 4% of GDP

At the meeting on Wednesday, Trump called on NATO allies to commit 4 percent of their GDP to military spending, while the alliance’s European partners are struggling to reach the current target of 2 percent of their annual output.

According to a White House official, Trump's remarks were not a formal proposal but came as he was asking leaders of the 29-member military alliance to increase their military spending. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the main focus should be on all members meeting the 2 percent target.

"I think we should first get to 2%, focus on that now... the good thing is that we are moving to that,” he told reporters when asked to comment on Trump's remarks.

At the NATO summit, Trump singled out Germany for criticism over its military spending.

He also said the relationship between Germany and Russia is “inappropriate.”

"I have to say, I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where you're supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia," Trump said during a meeting with the NATO secretary-general.

"If you look at it, Germany is a captive of Russia because they supply," Trump continued. "They got rid of their coal plants. They got rid of their nuclear. They're getting so much of the oil and gas from Russia. I think it's something that NATO has to look at. I think it's very inappropriate."

“Germany is totally controlled by Russia … They will be getting between 60 and 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline, and you tell me if that is appropriate because I think it's not,” Trump said.

Brennan also shared a damning statement from former US Secretary of State John Kerry denouncing Trump’s remarks to NATO members at the summit, calling them "strange" and "counterproductive."

Brennan has frequently criticized Trump. In an interview with MSNBC earlier this year, he called Trump "unstable, inept, inexperienced, and also unethical."

Trump 'unstable', 'ill-prepared' to lead: Ex-CIA chief

The former CIA chief says Trump is "ill-prepared" to discharge his duties as commander-in-chief, because he is "unstable, inept, inexperienced, and unethical."

Brennan said he believed Trump was "ill-prepared" to discharge the duties of commander-in-chief, particularly on international issues.

Trump takes credit for increased military spending by NATO allies

In a tweet on Wednesday, Trump took credit for increases in the military budgets of several NATO allies.

"Billions of additional dollars are being spent by NATO countries since my visit last year, at my request, but it isn’t nearly enough. U.S. spends too much. Europe’s borders are BAD!" Trump tweeted. "Pipeline dollars to Russia are not acceptable!"

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