Berlin, NATO warn against US troop cuts in Germany
Germany and NATO have underlined the importance of US troops in Germany for security on both sides of the Atlantic after US President Donald Trump said he would cut the number stationed in the European country.
The remarks opposing Trump's stance were made separately on Tuesday by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas during a visit to Warsaw and NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.
"We think that the US presence in Germany is important for the security not just of Germany but also for the security of the United States and especially for the security of Europe," Maas said.
Trump on Monday said he was reducing the numbers because Germany was "delinquent" in contributions to NATO and had treated the US "badly" on trade.
He said there are 52,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany and he would bring the number down to 25,000.
But according to the Pentagon, there are only between 34,000 and 35,000 US soldiers permanently stationed in Germany. Rotation of units means the overall number can only temporarily top 50,000.
Maas said Germany had not been given any details on when and how the redeployment might take place.
"Neither the State Department nor the Pentagon has been able to provide any information about this," he said, adding that any changes to Europe's security architecture "definitely need to be talked about".
Stoltenberg also said US troops in Europe made both sides of the Atlantic safer.
Defence ministers from the alliance will discuss Trump's plans during video talks on Wednesday and Thursday.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a statement to the AFP news agency that the US presence in Europe was "the foundation of NATO deterrence".
"We expect that some of the troops that the United States plans to relocate from Germany will stay in Europe," he said, adding that Lithuania "would be glad to host US troops on a regular basis".
The move has been criticised as weakening Washington's commitment to European defence as well as its ability to wield influence in the Middle East and Africa.
