German chancellor Angela Merkel has strongly rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's attack on the U.S. and NATO allies.... in which he said NATO is experiencing (quote) "brain death."<br />Condemning Macron's statement to a British weekly as "drastic words" on Thursday, Merkel said Germany is at the heart of NATO and that NATO remains a cornerstone of German security.<br />U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also stressed the importance of NATO, noting that the trans-Atlantic cooperation was critical in bringing about the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago and it's still relevant today.<br />The French President earlier on the day described NATO as "brain dead," blaming a lack of strategic coordination and leadership from the U.S.<br />
