Trump will reduce US troops in Germany
Print Edition
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will halve the number of American troops in Germany because Berlin is 鈥渄elinquent鈥 in contributions to NATO and treats the United States 鈥渂adly鈥 on trade.
Trump told reporters there are 52,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany and he will reduce that number to 25,000.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tremendous cost to the United States,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e removing a number down to, we鈥檙e putting the number down to 25,000 soldiers.鈥
Trump鈥檚 numbers were misleading because there are only between 34,000 and 35,000 US soldiers permanently stationed in Germany, according to the Pentagon. Rotation of units means the overall number can only temporarily top 50,000.
However, the US president鈥檚 message to Germany, Europe and the US-led NATO alliance was loud and clear.
US troops have been stationed in the geopolitically vital country since the end of World War II.
Trump said he wants to punish what he called Germany鈥檚 insufficient payments to NATO and to use the troops鈥 future as a weapon to support his threats of a trade war with the European Union.
鈥淕ermany is delinquent, they鈥檝e been delinquent for years, they owe NATO billions of dollars, and they have to pay it,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e protecting Germany and they鈥檙e delinquent. That doesn鈥檛 make sense.鈥
During a visit to Warsaw yesterday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his government hasn鈥檛 been given details about Washington鈥檚 plan. He said that Germany is still waiting to see what exactly the US plan entails.
NATO is also seeking details on Trump鈥檚 decision.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not yet decided how and when this decision will be implemented,鈥 said Secretary-General Stoltenberg on a video news conference yesterday.
Trump has had testy relations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the past.
A new strain emerged over the last few weeks when she said no to an invitation for a G7 summit in Washington, citing the lingering coronavirus pandemic, which has sharply restricted international travel.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
