That means it’s a done deal.
President Donald Trump has selected an option for withdrawing U.S. military personnel from Germany and redeploying those forces elsewhere, the Pentagon announced Tuesday night.
The movement of 9,500 U.S. service members from Germany resurfaces claims made by the Trump administration that the NATO ally has been “delinquent in their payments” to the alliance.
Der Abzug von rund 9500 US-Soldaten aus Deutschland ist beschlossene Sache.
America’s relationship with Germany may never be the same again, Berlin warns.
Defense spending, a brewing trade war between the U.S. and Europe and the threat of U.S. tariffs on German car exports are all bones of contention, as well as the mega gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 (a German-Russian project) and, most recently, the Group of Seven (G-7) alliance and the U.S.’ decision to withdraw troops from Germany.
The Germans don’t want to cooperate, not in any of these areas and they’re playing the victim by putting all the blame on Dr. Evil. It’s a pretty easy tactic to see through and its been quite successful up until now. They got themselves into this mess, however. Germans always want an Extrawurst (an extra sausage, something for nothing). Trump sees this and is pointing the finger in the right direction. The Germans know that he sees this and they don’t like having been caught.
“We’re protecting Germany and they’re delinquent. That doesn’t make sense.”
Not Donald Trump withdrawing American troops.
The Germans want a free ride and they’re offended at having finally been caught.
The Sorry State of Germany’s Armed Forces – Trump’s calls to withdraw U.S. troops from the country are impulsive, but Germany isn’t blameless.
The German armed forces are in a sorry state, and that’s not because Germany, more important to NATO’s efficacy as a collective defense pact than any other European member state, lacks the means to fix this problem. It does not.
Germany’s gross domestic product, valued at $4 trillion, ranks fourth in the world and first in Europe. The country is also Europe’s technological powerhouse. Indeed, in 2018, the World Economic Forum hailed it as the world’s leader in technological innovation.
And yet the German military remains riddled with problems. A damning 2019 report (available in an English-language summary) issued by the Bundestag’s then commissioner for the armed forces, Hans-Peter Bartels, summed up the problem.
PS: Please note here that the woman who ran the Bundeswehr for years and years and proved to be unable to fix it is now the woman EU technocrats (voters weren’t asked) have chosen to fix Europe.
That means delinquent.
You know, as in Donald Trump accusing Germany of being “delinquent” in its payments to Nato, and saying he would stick with the plan unless Berlin changed its course? The truth hurts, Germany. “Why does Germany pay billions to Russia for energy and then we’re supposed to protect Germany from Russia? How is that supposed to work? It doesn’t.”
Trump confirms plan to cut troops in Germany – US President Donald Trump has confirmed plans to withdraw 9,500 American troops from bases in Germany.
„Warum zahlt Deutschland Russland Milliarden Dollar für Energie, und dann sollen wir Deutschland vor Russland schützen? Wie soll das funktionieren? Es funktioniert nicht.“
Then, after somebody finally got him to take that stupid face mask off, he says “Berlin and Washington remain NATO partners but the U.S. relationship is now ‘complicated.’”
This, however, is more nonsensical than “mumpf blaf prawf” because there ain’t nothing complicated about it. You made an obligation, Germany. Many, many years ago (way long before Donald Trump came along). And you still haven’t lived up to it. Auf Wiedersehen already.
Then he praised Republican former Republican President George W. Bush and current Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden’s responses to the anti-racism protests, telling the newspaper: “This gives me hope that there are responsible voices in both camps. I really hope that the sensible ones will prevail.”
Der Außenminister absolviert ein unfassbares Tagespensum. Er mahnt, warnt, fordert, hebt auf, äußert Verständnis, erklärt sich solidarisch oder äußert sein Mitgefühl – und das praktisch ununterbrochen, manchmal mehrmals pro Stunde.
Germans are peace loving pacifists. They are also self-proclaimed Schmarotzer who refuse to live up their defense obligations.
So everyone here must be thrilled about Donald Trump now making good on his threat to withdraw roughly a third of the US troops stationed in Germany.
Oddly, some Germans find it ‘Regrettable’: Germany reacts to Trump plan to withdraw US troops Reduction of 9,500 personnel criticised by the German right and welcomed by the left. They’ll get over it. The Germans always get over.
“The real danger lurks across the eastern border, so moving US troops to Nato’s eastern flank will be a security boost to all of Europe.”
US nukes in Germany are getting modernized!
US set to upgrade controversial nukes stationed in Germany – The US has stored nuclear bombs across Europe as a deterrent against Russia — including in Germany, where parliament voted in 2010 to withdraw the bombs. But for now, they are here to stay — and set to be modernized.
Americans activate the nukes, Germans deliver them. What could possibly go wrong?
If only temporary.
US troops arrive in Germany for ‘Defender Europe 20‘ military maneuvers – A massive trans-Atlantic military exercise has gotten underway with over 40,000 US troops and military vehicles expected to arrive in Europe. It is the largest US troop movement across the Atlantic in 25 years.
“If everything goes well, nobody will notice anything.”
Or lost before the translation even began?
”‘Great again’ but at the expense of neighbors and partners?” That’s an odd thing for a German president to criticize at a security conference.
Granted, Germany is anything but ‘great again’ (because that’s how Germans insist Germany must forever remain) but when it comes to security and promised NATO contributions, Germany has been living at the expense of its neighbors and partners for many, many years now.
Germany’s president kicked off the annual Munich Security Conference on Friday by taking a swipe at President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy approach.
In his opening remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the United States would put its own interests first at the expense of allies.
“In this scenario, the security of one is the insecurity of others.”
But nowhere near what the Germans pledged to do long, long ago.
Germany to match US contribution to NATO budget – From 2021, Germany will increase its contribution to the NATO budget to be in line with what the US pays. NATO officials hope the move will diffuse tensions surrounding the cost of maintaining the military alliance.
Gee. I wonder what – or who? – finally got the Germans to act?
Starting in 2021, the share of the NATO budget covered by Germany will increase from 14.8% to 16.35%, while the share covered by the US will decrease from 22.1% to 16.35%…
NATO officials hope the new agreement will alleviate some of the tension around the topic of NATO financing. US President Donald Trump has complained that the US covers more than its fair share of the costs for the alliance. He has demanded that other member states make good on their pledges to increase their NATO contribution to 2% of GDP by 2024 (pledged nearly twenty years ago), a goal that Germany will not reach.
Merkel on Wednesday vowed to reach the 2% mark by the “early 2030s.”
