Dozens of Republicans urge Trump not to cut the number of US troops in Germany

Dozens of Republicans urge Trump not to cut the number of US troops in Germany

Republican Representative Mc Thornberry, the committee’s top Republican, joined with 21 other Republicans on the commission to urge Trump not to cut the number of U.S. forces in Germany significantly.

The message comes after a defense official told CNN last week that the White House had requested a significant reduction in the number of US military personnel stationed in the country. The official said the exact size of the cut had not been determined, but the 9,500 cut was the current provisional planning figure. The official order to start the troop movement has not been given but is expected soon.

There are approximately 34,000 US soldiers currently stationed in Germany.

“We strongly believe that NATO allies, like Germany, should do more to contribute to our joint defense efforts. At the same time, we also know that the forward positioning of American forces since the end of World War II helped prevent the last lawmakers’ books that World War, the most important of That, she helped make America safer. “

“In Europe, the threats posed by Russia have not diminished, and we believe that signs of a weakening US commitment to NATO will encourage more aggression and Russian opportunism. In addition, the overall limit of forces will prevent us from conducting the training necessary to train and prepare our forces and those of our allies.”

“The maximum number of troops will significantly reduce the number of US forces that can flow through Germany to deploy to bases around the world, causing serious logistical challenges,” the letter said.

While defense officials have weighed moving some troops from Germany in the past, a number of US and NATO officials told CNN last week that the size and timing of the cut were not expected.

This is hardly the first time that Trump has clashed with Republicans in Congress on military issues, as the president’s isolationist inclinations from the republican model foreign policy are separated. Republicans in Congress urged him to avoid withdrawing all US forces from Afghanistan, for example, and criticized his decision last year to withdraw US forces from Syria.

Republicans have also encouraged Trump to remain committed to NATO even when he has been waging on NATO for years, and complains that European countries are not paying enough to support NATO. In particular, Trump criticized Germany for not achieving the NATO defense spending goal of 2%.

Wyoming Vice President Liz Cheney said in a statement on Tuesday that withdrawing US forces from Germany “would be a fatal mistake” that would “harm our national security.”

“America’s advanced presence has never been more important than it is today, as our nation faces threats to freedom and security around the world from Russia, Vladimir Putin and the Communist Party of China. Our overseas presence is critical to deterring these opponents and fostering alliances.” During the force and maintaining American leadership. ”

Cheney added, “The withdrawal of our forces and the abandonment of our allies will have serious consequences, which will encourage our opponents and make the war more – and not less – likely.”

The US military has stationed its forces in Germany since the end of World War II and its presence there on the front lines of the Cold War helped deter the Soviet Union from launching an attack on NATO members.

And while the number of U.S. forces in Germany has decreased in recent years, US military bases in the country continue to be used by the military because of their strategic location and the presence of American defense infrastructure such as air bases and medical facilities.

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