Donald Trump confirmed Monday 15 June 2020 want to significantly reduce the number of us military stationed in Germany, appearing to use the european security as a lever in trade negotiations with Berlin. The tenant of the White House has assured the press that 52 000 IM currently stationed in Germany, the main anchor of american forces from Nato. “It is a huge cost for the United States,” he added. “We will, therefore, reduce the number, we will bring it to 25 000 “.
The number of soldiers deployed permanently in Germany was, in fact, only 34 674 in march 2020, according to official figures from the Pentagon. But this figure can climb exceptionally up to 52 000 during rotations or military exercises. The american bases in Germany are a stopover point for forces deployed in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, which can temporarily inflate the numbers.
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The first information about this project to the administration Trump had sown the concern in Berlin when they had been published by the Wall Street Journal at the beginning of the month. The figure announced Monday by Donald Trump is, in fact, the estimates of the log, which evoked a reduction of 9 500 soldiers to wear their number at 25,000. Even if the military personnel has declined since the cold War, Germany welcomes more u.s. soldiers than any other european country, a legacy of the allied occupation after the Second world War.
“Backward”
The resurgence of the military ambitions of Russia under the presidency of Vladimir Putin, has given the american presence to a new level of importance, but Donald Trump has justified its decision by the fact that Germany is not contributing according to him not enough in the budget for Nato. “Germany has a backlog, it’s been years that they have arrears and they have billions of dollars of Nato, and they need to pay “, he argued. “We protect Germany and they have arrears, this is ridiculous “.
In addition, the american president has criticized the first economic power of the european Union to “treat very badly” for the United States in commercial matters. “We are in the process of negotiating with them over there, but I’m not happy with the agreement that they propose “, he said. “They have cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars over the years in the trade, so that we made the wrong trade and it does us wrong on the Nato “.
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“They benefit”
It has accused Germany of profiting financially from the us military presence. “What are soldiers are well paid. They live in Germany, they spend tons of money in Germany “, he explained. “All around these bases, it is very rich. Germany benefits from it. “
The u.s. Congress was concerned about the fact that such a reduction of the workforce signals a us commitment to lower in the european defence within the Nato framework. This decision ” will encourage more aggressiveness and opportunism of the Russian federation “, said last week 22 elected republicans in an open letter. “We are convinced that the Nato allies, for example, Germany, should contribute further to our common efforts” defense, have estimated these elected officials serving on the commission of the armed Forces of the House of representatives. “At the same time, we also know that the parking advanced american forces since the end of the Second world War has helped to prevent another world war, and has mostly enhanced the security of the United States “, they added.
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The relations of Donald Trump with Angela Merkel, who have never been famous, are somewhat strained since the German chancellor has declined the invitation of the american president to attend a G7 summit in June, due to the pandemic of Covid-19. The billionaire republican, who has one eye fixed on the presidential election of November 3, wished to make its global leadership in the front with a G7 summit in Washington. After the refusal of Angela Merkel, it has postponed the summit, announcing its intent to invite Russia.
