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Donald Trump accuses Germany of making a fortune with American troops | News | DW

 


US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his criticism of Germany’s defense spending and accused the NATO ally of taking advantage of the presence of US troops stationed in the country.

“They are making fortunes with the troops. They are building cities around our troops,” Trump said in an appearance on conservative US news channel Fox News. “We’re going to let ourselves get rich first.”

He accused Germany of being “very delinquent” and of being one of the NATO countries that “took advantage” of the United States by not paying their share for defense.

“Germany is a rich country and they have to pay,” he said. “They owed us billions of dollars, billions of dollars to NATO. They should pay their bills. Why should we defend countries and not be reimbursed?”

Withdrawal of troops

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced last week that about 11,800 of the approximately 35,000 US troops stationed in Germany would be withdrawn. Some 5,400 soldiers will be transferred to other NATO countries, including Italy and Belgium, and around 6,000 will be sent home.

Trump revealed plans for the partial withdrawal in June. He frequently criticized Germany and other NATO allies for not spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.

The partial withdrawal has been criticized both in the United States and in Germany. Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton recently told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that the withdrawal of troops based in Germany was “a sign and not a good sign of what lies ahead if Trump is re-elected” president in November.

Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a retired US Army officer and former US commander in Europe, told DW last week that the withdrawal was “a gift to the Kremlin”.

“I always thought it was a political decision that was not based on any strategic analysis,” Hodges said.

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told DW earlier this month that withdrawing troops from Europe “would spark a debate within NATO.”

The History of American Troops in Germany High-ranking Visit to Ramstein Military Air Base

There are nearly 35,000 American soldiers stationed in Germany, mainly in the west and south of the country. Nowhere else in Europe are there so many American troops. But now US President Donald Trump wants to change that, pulling some 12,000 troops out of the country. It would be a major test for the military alliance between Germany and the United States.

The history of American troops in Germany From winner to defender

The US military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. With its allies, the United States had liberated Germany from the Nazis. However, their war ally, the Soviet Union, quickly became an enemy. Tensions between the two sides were demonstrated when tanks from the US Army and the Soviet Union clashed in a divided Berlin.

The History of American Troops in Germany GI Elvis Presley

American soldiers also brought American culture to Germany. The king of rock ‘n’ roll, as Elvis Presley would eventually become known, was drafted as a soldier and began his military service in Germany in 1958. He is seen here greeting his fans at Bremerhaven station.

The history of American troops in Germany Building a house

Over the years, the US military has firmly established itself in the German landscape. All over the American bases, there are many residential areas for American soldiers and their families, such as this residential area of ​​Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. This often creates obstacles to their full integration into German society. The U.S. military employed 17,000 U.S. civilians in Germany in 2019.

The History of American Troops in Germany Dating

Despite separate residential quarters, there has always been contact and exchange between German and American families. In the early years, dances were held on the streets of Berlin during the summer months, and in the winter, the US military held Christmas parties for local children. And there were the German-American Friendship Weeks every year.

The history of American troops in Germany Joint exercises of the Bundeswehr

The Federal Republic of Germany became an important strategic location during the Cold War. The NATO Reforger I (Return of Forces to Germany) maneuver at Vilseck / Grafenwhr in 1969 was one of several joint war games staged by the US military and the Bundeswehr. The enemy was the Soviet Union and the other signatories of the Warsaw Pact, including the German Democratic Republic or East Germany.

The story of US troops in Germany Nuclear missile dispute

Heavily guarded Pershing-II rockets were brought to the US base at Mutlangen in 1983. Rockets, armed with nuclear warheads, became a political issue. They have been presented as filling an important gap in NATO’s deterrent shield against the Warsaw Pact. Peace activists, however, saw them as a threat and staged massive protests. Many celebrities joined the protests.

The history of American troops in Germany Separate paths on Iraq

Twenty years later, US President George W. Bush went to war with Iraq for his alleged program to develop weapons of mass destruction. German Chancellor Gerhard Schrder, knowing that the majority of voters supported him, ruled out Germany’s participation. This led to deep divisions between Washington and Berlin.

The history of American troops in Germany Germany remains relevant

Even if President Trump continued his threat to withdraw 12,000 American troops, Germany would remain strategically important to the United States. The Ramstein base is particularly important, as it is also the headquarters of the US Air Force in Europe. It is from there that controversial drone missions are launched against targets in Africa and Asia.

Author: Christoph Hasselbach

Nord Stream 2

Trump also again condemned Germany’s decision to cooperate with Russia on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

“We’re supposed to protect Germany from Russia. That’s good. But Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for energy,” Trump told Fox News. “What is all this about?”

The United States announced in June its intention to extend sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. The United States and Eastern European countries fear that the pipeline, which will transport natural gas from Russia across the Baltic Sea to Germany, will increase the European Union’s dependence on Russian energy .

Germany’s foreign ministry said the sanctions “would constitute a serious interference with European energy security and EU sovereignty”.

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