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Flashback: Trump Slammed NATO Leaders For Being ‘Totally Controlled’ by Russia

A 2018 video shows then-President Trump slamming NATO leaders – particularly Germany – for being “totally controlled” by Russia due to their dependence on energy from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

The confrontation shows Trump speaking at a breakfast meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and questioning why the United States protects Germany when they’re deeply involved in an energy deal with Russia.

“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,” he ​told Stoltenberg.

“So we’re protecting Germany, we’re protecting France, we’re protecting all of these countries. And then numerous of the countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia where they’re paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia,” he added.

“And I think that’s very inappropriate.”

Watch this video – the depth of knowledge, the passion in fighting for American needs – and compare and contrast it with President Biden’s commentary on Russia and NATO in recent days.

RELATED: Mitt Romney Blames ‘America First,’ Jabs Trump, Obama In Statement On Russia Invasion Of Ukraine

Donald Trump Blames Germany for Being Under Russian Control

Trump continues to attack Germany before NATO representatives during a press conference just prior to the two-day summit.

The President at the time insisted that Germany is “totally controlled” by Russia, something he defied the leaders to “tell me if that is appropriate because I think it’s not.”

“I think it is a very bad thing for NATO and I don’t think it should have happened and I think we have to talk to Germany about it,” he added.

Sean Hannity from Fox News compared President Biden’s leadership style and intelligence to his own.

Hannity described Biden as ‘sauntering out’ to deliver “very uninspiring remarks.”

He went on to describe the 2018 video as “an epic face-to-face, complete beat down” with Trump “rebuking European leaders, getting right in their face for their dependence on Russia for their energy.”

“Do you think Joe Biden could ever be capable of this level of passionate fighting for what is in our country’s best interest?” asked Hannity.

RELATED: Trump Responds To Putin’s Attack On Ukraine: This Never Would Have Happened If I Were President

Biden Gives Russia Leverage with Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

The New York Post reported in 2018 that Trump’s comments were referencing “the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would bring natural gas from Russia to northern Germany and bypass other nations like Poland and Ukraine.”

You may recall that President Biden waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2 even as he killed the Keystone pipeline in America, something the BBC described as “a major geopolitical prize for the Kremlin.”

Trump attacked President Biden’s alleged weaknesses in his meeting with Vladimir Putin. Trump spoke out on Fox News this summer. As an example, he cited the Pipeline as an example.

“We gave a very big stage to Russia, and we got nothing. This was an irreplaceable asset that was given up. NordStream II was stopped by me, which resulted in the pipeline being stopped. It was eventually given back. [to Germany and Russia] and nothing was gotten for it,” Trump said.

“I think it was a good day for Russia. I don’t think we got anything out of it.”

Senate Democrats sided alongside Biden and Russia. They defended Nord Stream 2 when Senator Ted Cruz tried to impose Sanctions on Russian-German Natural Gas Pipeline just one month before.

Biden announced sanctions to the Nord Stream 2 company responsible for building the Nord Stream 2 pipe as tensions in Ukraine grew.

Cruz was kind to Biden, praising his ability to come back from the dead. 

“President Biden made the right decision today,” the Texas Republican said in a statement. “Allowing Putin’s Nord Stream 2 to come online would have created multiple, cascading, and acute security crises for the United States and our European allies for generations to come.”

Perhaps the President should have paid attention to Trump’s claims that Germany was “totally controlled” by Russia.

Former Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry explained recently that Putin’s attack on Ukraine was facilitated by leverage given to him through the energy market.

“#Putin got an assist from incompetent world leaders who propped up #Russia while risking their own energy security,” Perry tweeted.

“By killing the #KeystoneXL pipeline and rubber stamping NS2, the Administration increased Russia’s leverage over global energy markets, which got us here.”

Trump responded to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine by claiming that it would not have been possible if Trump were still the White House.

“This should have never happened. This would not have happened during my administration,” he said. “In fact, some people are saying why didn’t this take place over the last four years?”

“It’s a sad thing for the world and the country and a lot of people that will be needlessly killed,” he predicted.