USA

Armed Services Republicans ‘very concerned’ about US troops withdrawal from Germany

On Saturday, the chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees said they were “very concerned” about the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany because of President Trump’s fight with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Trump announced on Wednesday that he was conducting an investigation. possible decrease US troops in Germany.

“We are deeply concerned about the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany,” chairmen Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said. joint statement. “Germany has acted in response to President Trump’s call for greater burden sharing, significantly increasing defense spending and providing uninterrupted access, basing and overflight availability to US forces in support of Operation Epic Fury.”

Wicker and Rogers said the “premature reduction” of the US military presence in Europe “sends the wrong signal” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They argue that a consideration of allowing European allies to assume primary responsibility “will take time…as we move towards spending 5% of GDP on defence.”

The presidents suggested that troops should be sent east rather than removed from Europe altogether. They also insisted that “significant” changes to US behavior in Europe required a “deliberate process of review”.

The statement included the following: “We expect the Department to engage with oversight committees in the coming days and weeks regarding this decision and its effects on U.S. deterrence and transatlantic security.”

Wicker and Rogers previously criticized the withdrawal of troops from Romania last fall and said they oppose the Pentagon’s ongoing force posture review process. They said this could lead to “further withdrawal of US forces from Eastern Europe”.

The withdrawal is expected to be completed within the next six to 12 months, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Friday. The decision to withdraw troops came after the Department of Defense reviewed the US stance in Europe.

The withdrawal announcement followed Trump’s criticism of Merz, who he claimed miscalculated the threat of a nuclear Iran. He said Merz should shift his focus from focusing on the U.S. conflict with Iran to Russia’s war in Ukraine and “fixing his broken country.”

Trump criticized Merz and other NATO allies for not stepping in to work with the United States in conducting “Operation Epic Rage” in Iran.

Merz told German students on Monday that the United States “clearly” has no “strategic plan” for the war in Iran.

“Especially because the Iranians negotiate very skillfully, or rather not very skillfully,” he said. Associated Press. “And then allowing Americans to go to Islamabad and sending them back with no consequences. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially the so-called Revolutionary Guard.”

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