I think all the coverage of the Trump exchange with @jensstoltenberg this a.m. has missed the point. While it is inflammatory for him to say that Russia "controls" Germany (oh, and also ridiculous), he was actually making a different point.
He was saying "why should the US have to pay to protect Germany from Russia when Germany is doing big deals with Russia?" He was trying to lay down an argument that the US shouldn't have to pay as much for defending Germany.
This, taken with his animus to Germany, to NATO, his already expressed interest in exploring the costs of pulling US troops out of Germany (and his warm relations with Putin) should frame the comment as much more than an undiplomatic gaffe.
It was, instead, the President of the United States laying down part of his argument as to why the U.S. should pay less and disengage from NATO--an argument he has been making for 30 years. In other words, as shocking as the comment was, its intent was even worse than it sounded.
