He was referring to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, poised to deliver Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, which has strained ties between Berlin and Washington amid the crisis at the Ukrainian border.

“I really tried to convince [Angela Merkel] not to do the pipeline deal because I said that Germany would be absolutely a hostage. And that is what it is, a hostage of Russia,” Trump told the broadcaster.

Trump also criticized Merkel’s successor, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for his behaviour at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday.

“If you looked at the leader, the new leader of Germany, he looked at Biden like, you know, what are you talking about? He didn’t even comment on it,” the Republican party chief said.

Scholz did not mention Nord Stream 2 during the press conference. However, he promised that Germany would “act in a completely consensual way on sanctions.”