Germany should do more for its own security, Defense Minister Annagret Kramp-Karrenbauer said as the United States considers drastically reducing its troop presence in the European country.
“We keep the interests of the EU and of Germany in mind,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Friday. “It is also true that the quality of life in Germany and in Europe increasingly depends on how we ourselves ensure our safety.”
Earlier this week, the United States outlined a plan to move nearly 11,900 troops, nearly a third of its total contingent in Germany, out of the country. The move was taken on the orders of President Donald Trump, who said on Wednesday that the United States was pulling out because Germany “was not paying its defense bills”, alluding to Berlin’s failure to follow EU guidelines. NATO on military spending.
While NATO calls on its members to invest 2% of their GDP in defense, Germany’s military spending was around 1.38% of GDP last year. Trump called Germany a “delinquent”.
NATO statistics show that in 2019 out of the 28 members of the alliance, only the United States, Greece, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Romania, Poland and Latvia spent more than 2% of GDP on defense spending.
Read more: SIPRI: Germany significantly increases its military spending
German officials criticize the reduction in US troops and Trump’s tone. In addition to security concerns, the withdrawal is expected to affect the economy of the towns where the troops are stationed, as many Germans work as civilian personnel and contractors for US troops and rely on US soldiers as clients for their businesses.
The Bundeswehr to the rescue?
Defense Minister Annagret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Friday that she would meet after the summer break with the leaders of the affected German states to discuss “how the Bundeswehr can support the affected regions”. She called the US withdrawal “regrettable”. It was not immediately clear how the German army would attempt to fill the void left by the American departures.
German lawmaker and senior defense official Thomas Silberhorn told DW that US troops had “a magnificent job in Germany and Europe” in previous decades.
Read more: Germany calls for continued US dialogue after troop withdrawal
Germany was worried “not exclusively about a troop withdrawal, but about the reasoning,” Silberhorn told DW Washington correspondent Ines Pohl.
Silberhorn said: “We understand the argument, Europeans and especially Germans should do more for security in Europe. But we are already doing a lot.”
Berlin must “continue a dialogue of confidence at a higher level” with Washington, he added.
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The history of American troops in Germany
From winner to defender
The US military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. With its allies, the United States had liberated Germany from the Nazis. However, their wartime ally, the Soviet Union, quickly became an enemy. Tensions between the two sides were demonstrated when tanks from the US Army and the Soviet Union clashed in a divided Berlin.
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The history of American troops in Germany
GI Elvis Presley
American soldiers also brought American culture to Germany. The king of rock’n’roll, as Elvis Presley would later become known, was drafted as a soldier and began his military service in Germany in 1958. He is seen here greeting his fans at Bremerhaven station.
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The history of American troops in Germany
To build a home
Over the years, the US military has firmly established itself in the German landscape. Around US bases are many residential areas for US soldiers and their families, such as this residential area of Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. This often creates obstacles to their full integration into German society. The US military employed 17,000 US civilians in Germany in 2019.
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The history of American troops in Germany
Met
Despite separate residential quarters, there has always been contact and exchange between German and American families. In the early years, dances were held on the streets of Berlin during the summer months, and in the winter, the US military hosted Christmas parties for local children. And there were the German-American Friendship Weeks every year.
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The history of American troops in Germany
Joint maneuvers of the Bundeswehr
The Federal Republic of Germany became an important strategic location during the Cold War. The NATO Reforger I (Return of the Forces to Germany) maneuver at Vilseck / Grafenwöhr in 1969 was one of many joint war games staged by the US military and the Bundeswehr. The enemy was the Soviet Union and the other signatories to the Warsaw Pact, including the German Democratic Republic or East Germany.
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The history of American troops in Germany
Conflict over nuclear missiles
Heavily guarded Pershing-II rockets were brought to the US base at Mutlangen in 1983. Rockets, armed with nuclear warheads, became a political issue. They were presented as filling an important gap in NATO’s deterrent shield against the Warsaw Pact. Peace activists, however, saw them as a threat and staged massive protests. Many celebrities joined the protests.
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The history of American troops in Germany
Separate lanes on Iraq
Some 20 years later, US President George W. Bush went to war with Iraq for his alleged program to develop weapons of mass destruction. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, knowing that the majority of voters supported him, ruled out Germany’s involvement. This led to deep divisions between Washington and Berlin.
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The history of American troops in Germany
Germany remains relevant
Germany will remain strategically important to the United States. The Ramstein base is particularly important, as it is also the headquarters of the United States Air Force in Europe. It is from there that controversial drone missions are launched against targets in Africa and Asia.
Author: Christoph Hasselbach
dj / sms (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
