Trump’s Germany envoy warns countries against using ‘untrustworthy’ 5G vendors amid Huawei tensions

President Trump’s ambassador to Germany warned Sunday against other countries using “untrustworthy” 5G vendors amid the tensions involving Chinese company Huawei.

Ambassador Richard Grenell tweeted that the president called him from Air Force One to tell him to “make clear that any nation who chooses to use an untrustworthy 5G vendor will jeopardize our ability to share Intelligence and information at the highest level.”

. @realDonaldTrump just called me from AF1 and instructed me to make clear that any nation who chooses to use an untrustworthy 5G vendor will jeopardize our ability to share Intelligence and information at the highest level.

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 16, 2020

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and President Trump have both cautioned European countries against using the 5G company, saying China could access company’s equipment for cyber espionage and other crimes. The administration has prioritized ensuring Huawei is not utilized by other nations by threatening the U.S. intelligence relationship. 

The warnings come after the United Kingdom announced Huawei would be used in “periphery” portions of its networks last month. U.S. lawmakers have since worried about the relationship between the U.S. and U.K. being at risk.

Huawei has denied the company cooperates with China’s intelligence services, but U.S. officials say the company can access mobile phone networks through “backdoors” and would be inclined to help the Chinese government.

The U.S. brought additional charges against the company last week of conspiring and using deception to steal trade secrets and U.S. technologies. The company has previously been charged with stealing intellectual property, wire fraud and obstruction of justice. 

Huawei declined to comment.