Federal Secretary of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer wants more US troops to remain in Germany.
“The presence of American forces in Germany is in the interests of mutual security. I don’t think that in the USA perceive it differently,” she said.
However, just a week ago, US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell withdrew troops from Germany. The US wants to increase its troops in Poland from 4,500 to 5,500. US President Donald Trump announced that he will not send additional soldiers, but will transfer 1,000 people within Europe. He named Germany as a possible destination country.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the fact that Germany spends less on its armed forces than on NATO commitments.
According to a recent survey, 74 percent of Germans would feel as safe as before, given the withdrawal of American soldiers from the Federal Republic. Only 18 percent are concerned about this decision, Bild am Sonntag reports citing a survey conducted by the Emnid Institute. At the same time, 62 percent of respondents do not believe that the Bundeswehr can protect Germany in an emergency.