US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to US soldiers based in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on Nov. 7, 2019. (Photo by AP)
US President Donald Trump has ordered the military to remove nearly 9,500 troops from Germany, a senior US official said on Friday, a move likely to raise concerns in Europe about the US commitment to the region.
The move would reduce US troops numbers in Germany to 25,000, against the 34,500 currently there.
The official, who did not want to be identified, said the move was the result of months of work by Americas top military officer, General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and had nothing to do with tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who thwarted Trumps plan to host a G7 meeting this month.
A second senior administration official said the 9,500 troops would be sent elsewhere, some to Poland, some to other allied countries, while some would return home.
This official said there was less need for the large contingent in Germany due to overall increased defense spending by the US-led NATO military alliance.
The second official said the change was ordered in a memorandum signed recently by Trumps national security adviser, Robert OBrien. The official said the United States started working on the plan last September and had just now got the pieces in place.
The move is the latest twist in relations between Berlin and Washington, which have often been strained during Trumps presidency. Trump has pressed Germany to raise defense spending and accused Berlin of being a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance.
About 17,000 US civilian employees support US troops in Germany. It is believed the United States also has nuclear warheads there.
In May, the then-US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, accused Berlin of undermining NATOs nuclear deterrent, taking aim at Merkels junior coalition partners after some of their leaders called for nuclear disarmament.
Source: Reuters
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/18285
TAGS:
online news tv
