Trump has ordered the U.S. military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, a senior U.S. official said on Friday
“I don’t want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation,” Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told a news conference.“The fact is the presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the entire security of the NATO alliance – so American security too. That is the basis on which we work together.”
Despite misgivings about nuclear weapons that the United States is believed to have at a base in Buechel in western Germany, Germans have generally welcomed U.S. troops since the Second World War. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said on Monday close co-operation with the United States in NATO and with other NATO partners was key for Germany’s security.The move is the latest twist in relations between Berlin and Washington, which have often been strained during Trump’s presidency. Trump has pressed Germany to raise defence spending and accused Berlin of being a “captive” of Russia due to its energy reliance.
Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, Vice President at the German Marshall Fund of the United States which promotes U.S.-European ties, said the decision “does smack a bit like revenge.” “I’ve followed this relationship for the last 35 years of my professional life – I cannot remember a lower point of the relationship than this,” he added. “Donald Trump seems to see Angela Merkel, not anybody else, as his systemic rival.”Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump plan to slash U.S. troops sparks concern in GermanyGermany has voiced concern at reports that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to cut the number of American troops stationed in Germany, amid fears it could weaken a key pillar of NATO defence in the region.
Read more »
Trump Tweet Gets Personal Fact-Check From Twitter CEO Jack DorseyThe president whined after Twitter yanked a campaign video for copyright infringement — but Dorsey set the record straight.
Read more »
Scientists funded by Facebook CEO tell him to rein in TrumpDozens of scientists doing research funded by Mark Zuckerberg say Facebook should not be letting U.S. President Donald Trump use of the social media platform to 'spread both misinformation and incendiary statements.'
Read more »
Virus, racial unrest force Trump campaign to recalibrateLess than five months before voters will decide his fate, U.S. President Donald Trump is confronting a vastly different political reality than he once envisioned. For starters, if the election were held today, he'd likely lose.
Read more »