The German government has not yet received formal confirmation from Washington that President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to cut thousands of U.S. troops from Germany by September.
The move, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Friday, would reduce the U.S. force presence in Germany by about 28%, pulling back 9,500 from the 34,500 who are now there.
Germany — a key ally and partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) — says they have not yet been notified about the potential move.
“I don’t want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation,” German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said during a news conference Monday.
“The fact is the presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the entire security of the NATO alliance - so American security too,” she continued. “That is the basis on which we work together.”
The identity of any Army or Air Force units that would be affected by the order or the location where the personnel would be sent to remains unclear.
Mr. Trump’s decision to cut the number of troops comes amid strained relations with Germany as the president has repeatedly complained the country does not meet its military financial responsibilities, and rising tensions within the NATO alliance, exacerbated by Mr. Trump’s announcement last year he was pulling U.S. forces out of Syria without alerting key European allies.
The U.S. spends about 3.2 percent of GDP annually on defense, but just six other NATO countries meet the 2% threshold. NATO leaders had set a 2024 date for all members to meet that level and Mr. Trump has complained repeatedly that Germany, with the biggest economy in Europe, and other allies are falling far short of their pledges.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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