Dispute over Nato burden-sharing – reports: Trump is planning a massive US troop reductions in Germany The US President should want to in the autumn of 2020 between 5000 and 15 000 soldiers from Germany remove. An official confirmation is yet to come. 0 comment presence in Germany should be massively reduced: American soldiers in the U.S. military base in grafenwoehr.Reuters/Michaela Rehle
U.S. President Donald Trump is planning, according to media reports a massive reduction of U.S. troops in Germany. The “Wall Street Journal” reported on Friday (local time), with reference to unnamed US government officials, Trump instructed the Pentagon to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Germany, currently at 34’500 soldiers to 9500. In addition, an upper limit of 25’000 US soldiers should be introduced, which could be at the same time in Germany, present. Also the news magazine “der Spiegel” reported with reference to its own information about a planned drastic reduction of the U.S. troop presence in Germany.
The White house has not confirmed plans to Trumps. The speaker of the National security Council, John Ullyot, said on Friday (local time) on dpa request, currently there is no announcement. Trump check constantly the deployment of US soldiers abroad. “The United States remains committed to working with our close allies, Germany to cooperate.”
“The mirror” reported that the White house had informed the US Congress that the Pentagon will pull up to the autumn of 2020 of between 5 000 and 15’000 35’000 US soldiers from Germany. I have Heard that the US government had not informed the Nato-Partner Germany, as usual, in advance of the decision, it said in the report. The Pentagon has not commented on the request of a possible troop withdrawal.
last year the U.S. had threatened with the partial withdrawal of its troops from Germany. The then US Ambassador in Germany, Richard Grenell, had said last August: “It is to be expected really offensive that the US taxpayer paid more than 50’000 Americans in Germany, but the Germans use their trade surplus for domestic purposes.” Came to the at the time to some 35’000 US soldiers in Germany, 17’000 American and 12’000 German civilians who were employed by the US troops. Tens of thousands of more jobs in Germany depend on the American armed forces.
The US President has long called for a fairer burden-sharing within Nato and has repeatedly criticized the lack of defense spending in Germany. Trump had brought a relocation of troops from Germany to Poland in June of last year, during a visit of the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda in Washington into the game.
The relationship between the Federal government and the Trump Administration have long been tense. The “Wall Street Journal” reported, citing a decision trusted source, Trumps troop withdrawal plans had nothing to do with the announcement of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, because of the Corona to the pandemic is not expected to be at one of Trump’s planned G7 summit in June in the White house to participate.
Trump is this year’s host of the meeting. Originally, the summit was 10. to 12. June, at the country seat of the President in Camp David had been planned. In March, the U.S. had canceled government Meetings due to the Corona pandemic, and a video conference scheduled. Recently, Trump had stated but then again for the Meet soon, personally, in the White house to hold as a sign of recovery in the Corona-crisis. After Merkel’s announcement, Trump said that the summit will now likely be in September.
(SDA)
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