Austin: US adds 500 troops in Germany, despite Trump pledge [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday that he is expanding the U.S. military presence in Germany by 500 troops and has stopped planning for large-scale troop cuts ordered by the Trump administration.

“This planned increase in U.S. personnel underscores our commitment to Germany and the entire NATO alliance,” Austin said in a notable counterpoint to the Trump administration’s repeated complaints that Germany is a weak partner on defense and security.

Austin made the announcement after talks with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on his first tour of Europe since becoming Pentagon chief in January.

Kramp-Karrenbauer welcomed the announcement as a “strong signal” of a healthy U.S.-German relationship.

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By ROBERT BURNS
33 minutes ago


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-lloyd-austin-berlin-germany-201df3ddf8a2b17336c4df2cbf88ef1d