WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump charged Wednesday that Germany is "delinquent" in its contributions to NATO, accusing the US ally of stinting on defense while it pays Russia billions of dollars for energy.

"So Germany is paying Russia billions and billions of dollars for energy, okay," he said in a wide-ranging interview with Fox Business News.

"So they are giving Russia billions of dollars yet we are supposed to protect Germany and Germany is delinquent! okay?" he said.