Pentagon details plan to reduce forces in Germany
The Trump administration will move 12,000 troops out of Germany to Italy, Belgium, and back to the United States, the Pentagon said Wednesday, under a new plan that defense leaders said was designed to strengthen deterrence against Russia but that President Trump has said would punish Berlin.
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, unveiling the details of a long-awaited review of the U.S. military posture in Europe, told reporters at the Pentagon that of the troops that would be shifted from Germany, about 5,600 would go to Italy and Belgium, a move that would relocate several U.S. military headquarters. Another 6,400 would become based in the United States but conduct some rotational deployments back to Europe, Esper said.
The move, a larger reduction than previously expected, will bring the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany from 36,000 to 24,000, Esper said, describing the reduction as “a major strategic and positive shift” that would align the U.S. military posture with NATO strategy.
Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly criticized Germany for falling short on contributions to the NATO alliance, a “tremendous delinquency” he has characterized as the reason for repositioning U.S. forces.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pentagon-details-plan-to-reduce-forces-in-germany/ar-BB17kqzn?li=BBnb7Kz
Sure Esper. Trump's kompromat has nothing to do with it.
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