U.S. might pull troops from Germany to Poland if Berlin does not increase NATO defense spending
By: 112-UA News - 9-10-19
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https://112.international/politics/u...ing-42526.html
Currently, more than 33 000 U.S. military and another 17 000 civilian employees are deployed at the military bases in Germany.
The United States will be forced to relocate its military bases from Germany to Poland if Berlin does not increase defense spending. This statement was voiced by U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell in response to the reluctance of the government of Angela Merkel to increase defense spending to 2% of the country's GDP at the request of NATO, Voice of America reports.
"It is actually offensive to assume that the U.S. taxpayer must continue to pay to have 50,000-plus Americans in Germany, but the Germans get to spend their surplus on domestic programs," Grenell told the Germany press agency DPA.
Germany intends to increase its defense spending to 1.37% in 2020, but by 2023 this figure would drop to 1.24%.
Eastern European countries such as Poland and Lithuania, fearing Russian aggression after the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, have already increased their defense spending to 2% of their GDP, receiving praise from Donald Trump. The U.S. president wants Germany to do the same.
Now more than 33,000 U.S. military and another 17,000 civilian employees are deployed at the military bases in Germany.