Senior lawmakers from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling conservative bloc on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to order the U.S. military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany.
TRUMP HAD PRESSED GERMANY TO RAISE DEFENSE SPENDING
“The plans once again show that the Trump administration is neglecting an elementary leadership task: the involvement of alliance partners in decision-making processes,” Johann Wadephul, foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told Reuters.
All NATO partners benefited from the cohesion of the alliance, and only Russia and China gain from discord, Wadephul said, adding: “This should be given more attention in Washington”.
The withdrawal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is the latest twist in relations between Berlin and Washington, which have often been strained during Trump’s presidency. Trump has pressed Germany to raise defense spending and accused Berlin of being a “captive” of Russia due to its energy reliance.